


Hare to the Throne

by J_March



Series: The Wildlands Series [3]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2020-03-19 20:28:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18977788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_March/pseuds/J_March
Summary: Finale to the Wildlands series.





	1. Prologue

**CONTRACT PLEDGE FOR THE NATURAL ORDER**

I, _Nick Wilde_ , hereby renounce all loyalty to the city of Zootopia, its government, laws, leaders, and societal mores that have too long suppressed its citizens and their natural born instincts. From this moment on, my actions shall be dictated only by the limits of my own abilities. Predators must be predators until they are not, just as prey must be prey until they are not. This is the Law of Nature, and can no more be rejected than the origin of our species. I am now, until my death, part of the Natural Order.

I am free.

_Nicholas Piberius Wilde_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Two weeks earlier…_ **

"You know," said Nick, "when you said you were picking me up for a fun breakfast date, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

"What do you mean?" The hurt in Judy's voice, combined with that sweet bunny face of hers, made his partner the picture of wounded innocence. She let the deflated kickball she had been inspecting fall to the ground with a hollow, rubber _whumph_. "What's wrong with it? I brought you coffee. We're getting to enjoy the fresh morning air. Look! There are even flowers to enjoy." She plucked up a dandelion that had sprouted up through a crack in the cement and held it out to him. "Make a wish!"

With one sharp exhale Nick blew the fluffy weed apart, sending the seeds whirling out across the lawn. "I wish that my partner was a better liar."

Judy rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't you be wishing I were more honest instead?"

"Just because my con days are behind me doesn't mean I can't still hold an appreciation for the art," said Nick. He sighed dramatically. "How I fell for a bunny who lacks even the most basic skills of deception I'll never know."

"I guess you might call it an _honest_ seduction."

Nick clapped a paw to his chest. "And cheesy too. The Great Turtle save me."

Judy poked him with the flower stem. "You know you love me."

There had been a time not so very long ago when that line would have filled Nick with panic. Ironic, considering it was a tease he himself had begun. But Nick had come to some realizations since then. He wouldn't call it growth—definitely nothing so healthy as that. it was more that he had learned to accept his more selfish desires: He loved Judy more than anything in this world, therefore, he would stay by her side and do just that for as long as the world would let him. Considering the odds that were stacked against them some might call that a bad bet. Nick preferred to think of it more as a thrilling long shot. Regardless, he was all in, which was why he responded to Judy's teasing with a bald, "Every furry inch of you," that made her beam.

He added regretfully, "Even if you can't act your way out of a paper bag—"

"All right!" she exclaimed. "If you want the truth: Clawhauser called me on my way over and asked if we could stop by."

"And you couldn't pass on this one because…?"

The look his partner gave him! You'd have thought he'd asked her to cover up a murder. "Nicholas Wilde! We have a duty to the citizens of Zootopia to—"

"Yes, yes. Duty and honor and all that, blah, blah, blah. You know we're not the only police officers on the force though, right, Carrots?"

Judy gave a careless shrug Nick didn't buy for a second. "There's nothing wrong with putting in a little extra work now and then, is there?"

There was when he could still have been in bed sleeping, or at a diner having breakfast with Judy, or a dozen other things that would have been preferable to what they were doing now.

But Nick knew what she was really saying. Being a fox and bunny couple who were dating openly, on top of being partners at the ZPD, put a huge target on their backs. Judy seemed to think that by working extra hard and making themselves indispensable that animals would be more inclined to give them some leeway. Hedging her own bets, basically. Nick had his doubts about the effectiveness of it, but if it made Judy feel better than he was willing to go along.

To a point.

He waved her forward. "Okay then, Ms. Hardworker. I leave it to you to take the lead on this."

"Petty fox."

She took a grudging stepped forward and cleared her throat. The two animals in front of them didn't look over. Nick wasn't surprised. They hadn't stopped arguing once since Nick and Judy had arrived and taken their initial statements.

"—Should be teaching her better," an older male goat was lecturing his neighbor, a striking young doe in a business suit. "I never would have gotten away with such tomfoolery as a kid."

"I already apologized for Fauna's behavior," said the doe. "She's been punished and grounded. What more do you want me to do?"

Judy cleared her throat. "If I could—"

"I want you to do something that _works_ ," snapped the goat. "Obviously your little punishments aren't getting through. Maybe if you tried something more _corporal_..."

"How I raise my child is my business. You have no right to butt in."

" _Butt_ _in?_ " The goat's voice rose an octave. "Is that a crack about my horns? Because I'll have you know I have never head-butted anyone in my life! Which is more than those young bucks you keep bringing around at all hours can say."

"If we could all calm down—" Judy tried again.

"Nine to five is _not_ all hours. And those bucks are my patients. I work partly out of my home, which you well know. As a doctor who specializes in antler defects, you can see why some patients might feel more comfortable not coming to a clinic in a public area—"

"Well maybe if you focused more on your kid and less on a herd of insecure males with stunted—"

" _Hey!"_ Judy's shout cut across the messy lawn, startling both deer and goat into silence. The goat stiffened and almost seemed to lose his balance before catching himself. He glared over at Judy. The doe crossed her slender arms and scowled.

"Thank you," said Judy. "Now, if we could behave like civilized animals for just a moment—" She cut a look at a snickering Nick. He grinned back at her unrepentantly. "I have both of your statements here. If we could just go over everything one more time for confirmation." She turned to address the doe. "Ms. Deerling, you claim Mr. Cabra has been trespassing onto your land and damaging property. Is that correct?"

"Yes, it is."

Judy gestured to the deflated ball she had been looking at earlier. "Is this the property you spoke of?"

"Among other things," said the doe. "That's just what I found this morning, along with Fauna's bike." She pointed to a small yellow trike near the garage. The rubber had been torn off one of its tires and both the seat and front basket were little more than mulch. "All of Fauna's toys end up like this. And it's always after Mr. Cabra has one of his episodes."

The older goat stomped a hoof hard enough to leave a divot in the grass. "As if your kid's not the reason for half of them!"

"What kind of episodes are these?" Judy asked.

The goat huffed and fiddled with the curl in his short beard. "I have a… minor medical issue. I'm on medication for it, but it doesn't help when her terror of a child is always baiting me on purpose. I'm a victim of harassment here!"

"What kind of medical issue are we talking about?" asked Nick.

"Does it matter? The point is if _she_ only kept her kid in line—"

"You can only reign them in so much," said Ms. Deerling. "And Fauna isn't trying to be malicious. She's only teasing. If you reacted a little less strongly I'm sure she would lose interest."

"As if I have that choice!" cried Mr. Cabra. "When that little menace is always—"

The bushes beside him exploded. A small dappled form leapt from the foliage, spindly arms and legs akimbo as they landed in front of Mr. Cabra with a high-pitched, _"Boo!"_

The goat's eyes bugged. His mouth opened as if to scream but no sound came out. His arms, legs, and back went stick straight as if they had suddenly turned to wood. He staggered back a step, his body swaying like a pendulum with his rounded belly acting as the bob until gravity finally caught him and he toppled face first onto the grass.

"Sweet cheese and crackers!" exclaimed Judy, rushing over to the goat's side. "Nick, call Clawhauser at dispatch! Tell him we need an ambulance at—Nick? What're you… are you _laughing_ right now?"

Her partner shook his head in denial, but the paw over his mouth, the shaking in his shoulders… She couldn't believe it. "You are! Nick, this is serious."

"I know. I'm s-sorry, Carrots," Nick apologized, wiping tears from his eyes. "It just caught me funny and I—" He glanced over at the planking goat and dissolved into hysterics all over again.

"Mr. Cabra could be dying right now and you're standing there laughing at him!"

"He's not dying." With what looked like great effort, Nick managed pull himself together. "I promise, Carrots. Mr. Cabra will be fine. I remember a kid having this back in middle school. It's embarrassing, but he never needed an ambulance for it. Just give the goat a minute and he'll come around."

"Are you sure he's not dead?" Because Mr. Cabra looked dead. Like, really, really dead. Rigor mortis already setting in kind of dead.

"Positive," said Nick.

"Then what's wrong with him?"

"Well, I don't know the Latin term for it. But basically if anything startles him—"

"He faints!" crowed the fawn.

"Fauna Merryweather Deerling!"

The kid winced, all humor leaching from her face.

Ms. Deerling grabbed her daughter by the arm and yanked her around. "What did I tell you about scaring Mr. Cabra? You should be in your room."

"I wanted to see the famous police officers," said Fauna. "Vixie's always bragging at school about how close her family is with them and—I wasn't going to do anything, honest!"

Her mother pointed to the goat's prone form. "Then what do you call that?"

"But they wanted to know what was wrong with him. I was just trying to help, Mama, I swear! I just wanted to help!"

" _I_ swear I don't know what I'm going to do with you." Ms. Deerling sighed, weariness settling in her features. "Go back inside," she ordered. "And if I see you put so much as a hoof outside your room so help me—"

The fawn scrambled back into the house.

The doe turned to Judy. She glanced uncertainly at the goat. "Is there anything I can do?"

Mr. Cabra had started to twitch, a spasmodic jerking of his limbs that reminded Judy of criminals who had been shot one too many times with a stun gun. Nick didn't seem worried about this development, though. And indeed, after about a minute of this, Mr. Cabra managed to get ahold of himself enough to sit up. Judy tried to help, but she was shaken off before she could so much as touch him.

"Do you see what I have to live with?" the goat demanded. "That kid is a menace. A goat shouldn't have to live in constant fear like this."

"It is unfortunate," Judy said carefully. "But... while I agree that perhaps your environment isn't conducive to treating a condition such as yours, if you were having problems with your neighbor that you felt were unfair then you should have come to the ZPD. The fact of the matter is, no one has the right to destroy the property of others, no matter what the issue."

"You're seriously taking her side right now?" cried the goat.

Nick stepped up next to Judy. "We're not taking anyone's side. We're telling you what the laws are. And despite the situation, you seem to have broken them."

"Who says I have?" sneered the goat. "Doesn't your precious law need evidence to convict? Where's the proof I did any of it?"

"So the ball Fauna threw at you yesterday just _happened_ to be deflated this morning?" said Ms. Deerling.

"Balls deflate all the time. You can't blame an old goat for that."

Nick picked up the ball, turning it over to get a better look at the giant puncture hole. "Looks like a pretty violent deflating," he said.

_Nick's right_ , thought Judy. The hole was too big even for a patch. In fact, it looked almost like a chunk of the rubber was missing entirely.

"And the bike?" demanded Ms. Deerling. "That didn't happen by itself. And I saw you yell at Fauna for using the horn."

"I doubt I'm the only one in this neighborhood your budding termagant has terrorized," said the goat. "Maybe one of them did it."

Judy eyed the bike, noting how much plastic and rubber was gone from the tire and seat. The way the front basket looked almost...chewed.

"She doesn't tease anyone else like this," the doe admitted. At least she had the decency to look chagrined by it. But she rallied as she said, "I know it's you. And I _will_ press charges if you don't stop breaking my kid's things."

"Good luck winning that case without proof," said Mr. Cabra.

Judy glanced over at Nick. She saw by the horrified look his face that he had already put the pieces together as well. He knew how they could solve this case just as she did.

Which is why he started shaking his head furiously at her.

Judy sighed. Looked like it was up to her then.

"Actually," said Judy, ignoring Nick's pleading whispers at her. "I don't think getting proof is going to be a problem."

The goat sneered at her. "You've got nothing."

"You're right, I don't," said Judy. "But you do."

Nick groaned. The doe looked the goat over like she suspected the evidence to be hidden in his pockets.

"I have it?" Mr. Cabra pretended to pat himself down. "Funny. I don't have anything on me now."

Judy smiled at him. "Not right now you don't. But you will."

"Will I?" The goat scoffed. "When?"

Judy pretended to do the math. "Let's see… the average rate of digestion takes 24 to 72 hours… but goats are usually half that, right? And taking into consideration that plastic and rubber may take longer to… pass through? Or would it be quicker? Anyway, consumption happened roughly 10 hours ago so… I'd say you should have the evidence ready for us in… oh, the next day or so?"

Ms. Deerling gasped. Nick muttered, "Well there goes my morning." And from the front window Judy could just make out a tiny voice saying, " _eeeew_."

Mr. Cabra stilled as understanding hit him. Then his eyes rolled up into his head, and for the second time in so many minutes he pitched forward onto the grass.

Judy turned to Nick was a forced smile. "Well, that wasn't so bad. First case of the day already solved!"

"Yeah," said Nick. He twirled a claw around. "Whoo-hoo."

* * *

Nick didn't believe for a moment it was coincidence that half of his and Judy's detractors at the ZPD just happened to be in the holding block at the same time they arrived to put Mr. Cabra into a cell. Not even with the infamous rhino currently residing there did they need so many officers patrolling the hall all at once. No doubt they had heard the call come in and couldn't pass up the chance to see Nick and Judy humbled at something. No comments were made to them outright, but the stifled snickering and pointed whispers were enough to make Nick wonder just who was actually being booked here, the goat or them.

"Ignore them," said Judy, ears high as they escorted Mr. Cabra past a pair of openly smirking armadillos. "Just focus on the job."

Nick made a face. "Considering what lies in my immediate future, I'd rather not."

"Disgusting animals," spat Mr. Cabra. "I can't believe you would destroy an old goat's dignity like this."

"You destroyed it yourself when you starting eating kids toys," said Judy.

"Yeah, way to be a cliché, Goat Gruff," said Nick.

Coming to an empty cell, they escorted Mr. Cabra into it and unhandcuffed him. The cell was nothing more than a sink, a cot, and a toilet with accompanying control panel. Judy typed in the codes then set the controls to the auto-lock/no flush function. Mr. Cabra watched her with a paw to his stomach. "I don't feel so good."

"Someone will be down shortly will some pills to help make the process easier," said Judy.

The goat burped.

"This sure as heck wasn't in the job description," Nick grumbled as the left the cell.

"Every job has its downsides," said Judy.

"Sure they do. But we're famous now, aren't we? Sort of? Where are all the perks? At the very least we should be able to get out of doing tasks like this."

"Nicholas Wilde. What sort of officers would we be if we tried to take advantage of something like that?"

"I'm not asking for a parade," said Nick. "Just maybe an exemption from dealing with any more code twos."

Next to them a hippo broke out into a very suspicious fit of coughing. Judy rolled her eyes.

"You know..." she said as they made their way back down the hall, and Nick felt himself tense at her too-casual tone. "If you really hate doing things like this, we could always bring in a trainee. Clawhauser told me there are a lot students at the police academy who have been asking to shadow us. You know, to get some real world experience."

For a moment Nick felt like he might have caught Mr. Cabra's fainting disease. His body seemed to seize up and suddenly it was hard to breathe. It made his words come out more curt than he wanted them to. "That's a hard pass, Carrots."

But Judy was nothing if not dogged. "Not everyone will turn out to be like Tibor."

At the name, Nick's heart gave a sickening lurch. He could still picture the broken body of his former friend after he had fallen from the stage as if he were sprawled right in front of him. He still woke some nights from terrifying dreams of the hyena chasing Judy down through pitch-black tunnels, that yipping laughter a chilling, distorted echo that had Nick jerking awake, bathed in sweat and shaking.

Nick swallowed, throat dry. "That's not it."

Judy gave him a look that was far too understanding. "You have to start letting new animals into your life sometime, Nick."

"True. But why do it now when I can wait until I have no other choice? I think that's the healthiest way to go about things, don't you?"

Judy just shook her head at him. "Stubborn fox."

Nick thought she was far more stubborn. And brave. After all, any passing listener would think it was only Nick who had suffered from Tibor's betrayal. As if Judy hadn't also been a victim. More so, in many ways, than even Nick had been. He hadn't missed the way Judy tended to pause when she entered her apartment now. The excuses she came up with to check out the other rooms before settling down on the couch with him. The jokes she made that weren't really jokes when she asked if he could smell anyone else's scent besides theirs. And yet already she was talking about inviting someone else in.

If that wasn't the most stubborn kind of strength then Nick didn't know what was.

They reached the end of the hall just as the door burst open and officer Delgato stepped through. He beamed down at Nick and Judy with vicious glee. It was, without a doubt, the happiest Nick had ever seen the lion look when focused on them.

In his giant paw he held a plastic cup with two pills and a small case Nick recognized as a sample collector.

He shoved the items at Nick, his grin so wide it was impossible to see anything beyond his gleaming incisors. "For you, Fox."

"Well aren't you just the king of thoughtfulness," said Nick. "You shouldn't have. Really."

"Just helping a fellow officer out," said the lion, his small, dark eyes glittering. "Isn't that what they keep telling us in all those namby-pamby office trainings?"

"You're the one who keeps having to retake them. You tell me."

The lion leaned down close enough that the fur of his mane tickled Nick's nose. "Oh, I am going to enjoy watching you brought down a peg, fox. It's been a long time coming."

"There is no shame in doing one's job," said Judy. "Now if you don't mind, we still have a lot of work to do, so—"

It was at that moment that the goat made a sound of distress from his cell, followed by a smell that had several of the loitering officers fleeing the hall.

"Looks like your made-up estimate was a bit off," said Nick.

She bit her lip, shooting him an apologetic look.

The lion made a sweeping gesture back towards the cells. "By all means, don't let me keep you two from doing your _duty_." He chuckled at his own joke.

There was no escaping it. With all the dignity he could muster Nick turned back towards the cell. Before he had taken a dozen steps, however, the holding block doors burst open once again, this time admitting a frantic-looking officer Howle. As the most extreme expression Nick had ever seen the wolf emote was _hardened stoic_ , this was another first.

Howle didn't spare Delgato so much as a glance, dodging around him to go directly to Nick and Judy.

"Jasmeen's gone into labor," he told them.

"Oh, how wonderful!" Judy gave a happy hop, clapping her paws. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you."

Outside the holding block Nick could distantly hear the happy howling from other wolf officers as the news spread. Howle, despite his name, did not join in. But he did smile, a small, fierce thing full of pride.

"It's her first litter so I'm taking Den Leave. Would you two mind covering my cases until I get back?"

"Of course," said Judy at the same time as Nick said, "How many cases, exactly?"

"Not too many," said Howle. "This spring has been pretty slow so far. Clawhauser's agreed to help out too." He held up a thin folder. "Ah, but I do have this thing I'm supposed to cover this afternoon. Clawhauser couldn't cover it so—"

"We'll do it!" Nick snatched the folder from his paw. "Anything to support a friend in their time of need." He tossed the plastic cup and sample case back to Delgato. The lion, not expecting it, fumbled the items, sending the cup and pills scattering.

"You'll cover this for us won't you, Delgato?" said Nick. "Since you're _so_ big on helping out his fellow officers and all."

The look the lion shot him was pure hatred. Plastic cracked as two inch claws punctured the sample case.

That was their cue.

"Oh would you look at the time! Gosh, we better get out of here if we want to make it in time to cover Howle's shift," said Nick. Catching Judy by the paw, he broke into a jog with her down the corridor. "Howle, all my best to the Mrs. And Deglato—thanks, we owe you one, buddy!"

They made it through the door just as the lion's furious roar erupted down the corridor.

* * *

"Is it too late to go back to the precinct?" asked Nick.

Judy rolled her eyes and said nothing. She wasn't about to dignify such a ridiculous question with a response.

"What's the matter, Wilde?" Stella, a tiger officer who often backed up Howle during bigger assignments, grinned down at the fox over Judy's head. "Political campaigns not your thing?"

Judy could practically feel the waves of tension rolling off Nick as he surveyed the crowd before them. Mayoral elections always had the biggest turnout save for possibly a Gazelle concert, and the entire field was packed full.

Judy, Nick, and Stella had been assigned posts on the right side of the stage, next to a line of oversized flags, each one representing a different district, with Zootopia's official flag the tallest of all. The elevated position gave them a clear view of the crowd as well as the park and roads beyond.

"Is there anything scarier than impassioned voters?" said Nick with a shiver.

"Impassioned Gazelle fans?" asked Stella.

Nick made a face. "You're right. That is worse. At least here there's no singing."

"No, only arguing," said Judy as several voices started shouting near the back. Two arctic wolves Judy recognized from Tundratown as officers Fang and Clawe also spotted the troublemakers and started making their way over.

Because it was a mayoral election, it was mandatory that officers from each district were represented as a show of unity. Guarding backstage was a leopard and tree kangaroo from the Rainforest district, and far along the edges of the field were a coyote and mountain lion from the Savanna District.

The wolves reached the arguing group, who settled down after a few sharp words from the officers. Hopefully the campaigning would stay peaceful. There were always six campaigns in all. Once a week for six weeks the candidates would travel around Zootopia. The first campaign always took place in Savanna Central, then they would move on to Sahara Square, then Tundratown, the Meadowlands and the Rainforest District, with a final wrap-up campaign in the heart of Downtown. Final voting took place through the following week, with the new mayor announced that Sunday evening.

"Excuse me." A group of bunnies too young to vote sidled up to the stage, each of them clutching a cell phones in their paws.

"Can we get our pictures taken with you?" they asked Judy.

"I'm sorry," said Judy, "But I'm on duty right now."

Five pairs of ears drooped in unison.

Stella huffed and gave Judy a shove forward. "Oh, go on. The candidates aren't even on stage yet."

"You don't mind, Stella?"

The tiger waved her forward.

The bunnies squealed and rushed to gather around Judy. When they turned to Nick with hopeful eyes, the tiger smacked him across the back with her heavy tail, nearly knocking him off the stage. "What are you waiting for, Wilde, a written invitation? Get down there."

Nick glared at her, mumbling something about pushy cats, but he grudgingly climbed down and joined the group. He even smiled at Judy's urging.

"Do you think we could get a picture with the two of you holding paws too?" one of the bunnies asked. Her companions all looked away shyly, but Judy noticed they still had their phones at the ready.

"We only hold paws off the clock," was Nick's prim reply, sending the young group into a fit of giggling. "Now, shoo. Back to your parents. We've got important police work to get back to. Shoo, shoo."

They darted off, laughing.

"Only off the clock, huh?" teased Judy.

"Well I wasn't about to give the kits a show," grumbled Nick, avoiding her amused gaze.

Her fox was so cute when he was embarrassed.

As Judy past by him she briefly caught his paw in hers and gave it a squeeze, whispering in his ear, "Later then," and taking great satisfaction in seeing the shiver that went through him all the way to the tip of his tail.

Nick gave a nearly subvocal growl, too low for anyone but her to hear, and prowled after her as she returned to the stage. Before she could jump back up he was there, his paws at her waist and that smooth, conman's voice in her ear. "Here. Let me help you with that."

The stage was only a couple feet high—a cakehop for a bunny. That she would need help with it was laughable and they both knew it. But Judy didn't pull away. She relaxed into his hold, catching her breath as his grip changed, firmed. Felt the huff of his exhale as he lifted her. And even though his touch was completely professional and he released her the moment her toes touched the boards Judy's heart still thrilled at the moment. And she knew he knew it when she looked back and caught him watching her with a smug smirk on his face.

"Would you two stop mooning at each other already and get over here?" said Stella. "I can hear them getting ready backstage."

Nick scrambled up and he and Judy retook their positions. Not long after a band started up and the mayoral candidates along with a pawful of political volunteers and a caracal in an impeccable suit whom Judy recognized as Will, a top lawyer in Zootopia and friend-of-a-friend Robin Swift.

"Hey, isn't that—" started Nick as the caracal stepped up to the podium and began introducing the candidates.

"You remember Will, don't you?" said Judy. "He helped clear Marian and her brothers in court last year."

"Not the cat," said Nick, jerking his head. "Isn't that Cottonbutt?"

That caught even Stella's attention. "Who would name their cub Cottonbutt?"

"No one," said Judy. "Nick's just being—"

"It _is_ him." Nick turned to her, an odd look on his face. "You didn't tell me he was running for mayor."

"That's because I didn't know."

She peeked past him, trying to see. He was right. Benjamin Cottontail, owner and founder of one of the biggest frozen food companies in Zootopia had taken his seat on stage along with the other candidates, which included the current Mayor Lionheart, a sloth, an elephant, and a polar bear.

"Marian didn't mention it to you?"

Judy shook her head. "No, but she's been so busy with wedding plans lately… it probably slipped her mind."

Nick's tone turned mocking. "Her husband-to-be not helping out?"

"More like he's trying to help out too much," said Judy. "Marian says she just wants a small wedding, but Robin keeps adding things to it to make it bigger."

"That fox never knows when to quit."

Judy knew he wasn't referring to just the wedding, but she didn't dare say more with Stella there. They watched as Will introduced the candidates. The sloth hailed from the Rainforest district, the elephant grew up in Savanna Central, and the polar bear was a proud resident from Tundratown. Cottontail, Judy noticed, claimed both Downtown and the more rural outskirts of the Burrows as his home.

"I can't believe Cottonbutt is running for mayor," Nick grumbled. "After everything he's done."

"His lawyers squashed that scandal pretty quickly," said Judy. "I don't think it even made it to the papers. And he's no worse than Mayor Lionheart. At least Ben feels badly for what he did."

"Oh, well, as long as _Ben_ feels _bad_ about it…"

"I take it you know this bunny?" said Stella.

"He's a… brother of sorts to a friend of ours," said Judy.

"And he's obsessed with Judy," added Nick.

"He is not!"

"Did he or did he not send you flowers for your birthday last month?"

"Because he happened to be with Marian while she was birthday shopping for me. It was just to be polite."

"Polite? Yeah, right. I bet my right eyetooth he knew where she was going and invited himself along on purpose just so he would have an excuse to send you something."

"Now you're just being ridiculous."

Stella smirked. "Feeling bit territorial there, Wilde?"

"Nick knows he has nothing to worry about," said Judy. She shot him a pointed look. "Or he _should_ know, anyway."

"He's a newly mated predator," said the tiger. "Logic has very little to do with his brain right now I'm afraid."

" _He_ is standing right here," growled Nick.

"And looking very handsome while doing it too," said Judy. They'd been required to change into their more formal uniforms for the function, and seeing Nick properly suited in blue did wonderful things for him. It made him stand taller, shine brighter. And the shine wasn't just because the navy set off his bright red fur to perfection. It also brought out a pride in Nick that wasn't visible nearly enough otherwise.

Although, Judy wouldn't lie that his normal, slightly rumbled look wasn't just as attractive in it's own way…

"Don't bother trying to flatter me," said Nick, but his stance relaxed and he let the issue of Cottontail drop. Stella shot Judy a look over his head that said, _Told you_.

For all that Nick hated Cottontail, however, the crowd seemed to love him. He and Mayor Lionheart easily earned the most cheers during their introductions. After that, each candidate took a turn at the mic, giving speeches on how they planned to improve Zootopia, what they saw for the future of the city, and how they would best serve its citizens. The sloth had a charming mien but unfortunately didn't get much farther than introducing himself before he ran out of time and was forced to go back to his seat. The elephant was more fast-talking and passionate, with lots of trumpeting exclamations and stomping feet, but Judy thought that there wasn't much substance to what he was saying overall. The polar bear was more reserved, with dire warnings that didn't seem to go over well with the crowd.

Mayor Lionheart, when it was finally his turn, received a deafening amount of cheers just by saying hello. He had the same booming voice and slightly smarmy personality that he always had. Maybe there was a touch more humility to his persona, but Judy couldn't tell how much of it was feigned and how much was sincere.

"Zootopia has overcome so much these past couple of years," said Lionheart. "Unfortunate events that have cost many of us our happiness, our security, and our very lives. But we are a strong city with strong leaders and we have survived. More, we have learned and grown as mammals. We are ready to face anything life throws at us now. _I_ am ready. And if I have the honor of being re-elected, I promise to ensure that _all_ of us find the peace and stability that every citizen in this city deserves."

More whoops and clapping from the audience.

"Did he just pretend to wipe away a tear?" said Nick.

"Even when he's talking about Zootopia he still somehow manages to make it all about himself," said Stella. "No surprise there."

Cottontail was last. One of the volunteers started to bring over a stool for him, but he stayed them with a single lift of his paw. Instead he leapt up onto the podium, balancing on the topmost edge. Stretching to his full height, he raised the mic. He was slim for a bunny, all sleek muscle with dyed golden fur and impressively tall ears that Judy knew had been achieved through expensive plastic surgery. His suit was perfectly tailored, his manner almost regal. He was a fraction of the lion's size and yet somehow managed to command the same level of attention. It was a skill even Judy with all her strengths hadn't yet been able to manage.

"Mayor Lionheart is correct about one thing," he told the crowd. "Zootopia has been through a lot of painful things. Terrifying things. Things some of us will never come back from." His gaze swept the audience, almost daring them to make eye contact, to connect with him and hear what he was saying. "But he's wrong if he thinks going back to the way things were will stop more bad from happening. What happened with the animals attacks last year… what happened with the murders _this_ year… they happened because the way things were was wrong, and is _still_ wrong now. You want peace? You want stability? Then you have to work for it. _Fight_ for it. Only by changing can we grow and improve as a city. Anything else is regression. That's why I'm asking you: fight with me."

Cheers went up, but there was also a lot of murmuring. A warthog near the middle of the crowd yelled, " _fight this, rabbit!_ " and raised something in his fist.

Fear rippled through the audience at the sudden threat of violence. Cottontail froze on top of the podium, eyes going wide. All the officers immediately started racing through the crowd toward the threatening herbivore, but there were too many animals and it only got worse as those closest to the warthog panicked and tried to shove away from him.

Stella dove into the crowd too. She was closer than the others, but already the warthog was drawing his arm back, prepared to throw whatever it was right at Cottontail, who stood there like a deer in the headlights.

"Nick, cover Ben!" Judy yelled.

Her partner didn't hesitate. He dove across the stage. At the same time, Judy hopped up and grabbed hold of the edge of Zootopia's flag just as the warthog hurled the projectile. Nick slammed into the podium that Cottontail perched on, shoving it out of the line of fire. Judy leapt across the stage, yanking the banner up. The object bounced off the flag and was flung back at the warthog, striking him right in the face with a wet popping sound. Red sprayed and animals shrieked and ducked away as the warthog went down.

Stella made it to him first. She stared down at the fallen herbivore, expression unreadable. Judy glanced over at Nick. He had Cottontail off the podium and shoved behind him. The rest of the candidates had fled the stage. Only the caracal, Will, hovered near Nick as they watched Stella inspect the warthog.

The other officers had made it over by this time too, and for a moment they all huddled around, no one saying anything.

Then the warthog bolted up, his face and tusks covered in gore as he wailed out curses. Stella rolled her eyes and caught him by the arm.

"It's okay," she yelled over to Judy. "It was just a tomato."

Clapping from the audience broke out, along with a few relieved chuckles. Stella passed the warthog off to officers Fang and Clawe to deal with while citizens returned to their seats.

Judy joined Nick, Cottontail, and Will on the stage.

"Nice teamwork there, partner!" she said to Nick, holding up her paw. The fox rolled his eyes but returned the high-five willingly enough, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"My thanks to both of you," said Cottontail, tugging at his cufflinks with trembling paws. "I can't believe I froze up like that. How embarrassing."

"Don't feel bad," said Judy. "It's an entirely normal reaction given you've never faced a situation like that before."

"Exactly." Nick clapped the bunny on the shoulder a bit too hard. "Give it a few weeks. I'm sure you'll get used to animals throwing rotten food at you in no time."

Judy shot him a look. Nick raised his eyebrows in an innocent _What'd I say?_ gesture.

The caracal sighed and stepped forward, straightening his tie. "Right. Well, let's try and get this scat-trap over with then before someone else decides throwing their lunch might also be a fun idea."

"Not a fan of politics?" said Nick.

"Not even a little," said Will.

"But isn't being a lawyer kind of… similar?" asked Judy.

"At least in court if someone says something stupid I get to argue them into the dust," the cat growled. "Here I just have to listen to it until their time runs out. No offense," he said to Cottontail.

The bunny waved the insult off, still too shaken by what had just happened to care.

"Then why did you agree to be the mediator?" asked Judy.

"Why did _you_ agree to the post? According to my information, an officer Howle was supposed to be accompanying officer Stella today, not you two."

"Let's just say there's more than one type of scat-trap," said Nick.

The caracal raised a single eyebrow. "Indeed? Well, if you'll excuse me, I would prefer to end this one before the flies start to descend." He looked towards the edge of the field where news reporters were already beginning to trickle in.

"I better join the other candidates in the back," said Cottontail as Will took the podium and started giving final announcements. "It was a pleasure to see you again, Judy. And Wilde. Will you be covering all the campaigns?"

"We were just fill-ins for today," said Judy. "We don't know yet if we'll be official replacements."

"If not, then I suppose I will see you at the wedding."

Judy felt more than saw Nick bristle beside her. Silly fox.

"Yes, _we_ will definitely see you at Marian and Robin's wedding," said Judy, purposely stressing the _we_ purely for Nick's peace of mind. It was ridiculous of course, but after everything they had been through, Judy was too happy to have Nick openly showing his feelings for her to mind a little jealousy.

Cottontail retreated backstage and Nick and Judy returned to their positions next to Stella, who also humored Judy with another high-five.

As Will announced the date and location of the following campaign in Savannah Square, Judy caught Nick's eye and they shared a smile.

Finally, thought Judy, they were back on track. And whatever came in the future, political threats or petty jealousies, they would be ready to face it. Together.


	3. Chapter 3

"Your partnership is hereby suspended."

Judy stared at Chief Bogo, struggling to comprehend this blunt pronouncement. She looked over at Nick to see it he understood any better than she did, but his face was an expressionless mask. Never a good sign.

"Suspended." Nick repeated the word almost thoughtfully, his tone perfectly neutral. "For how long?"

"Indefinitely."

Judy sucked in a breath, reality finally starting to trickle through like cold rain on fur. How could this be happening? They had finished up at the opening campaign ceremony to cheers and clapping and more offers for free drinks than they could accept in a year. On their way back to the station Nick had bragged that at the rate they were going they would be forced to accept a parade after all, and though Judy cautioned humility, inside she had been bursting with just as much satisfaction and pride as Nick. They were really doing it. Zootopia was coming to accept them. Not by everyone, of course, but enough to take heart.

When they had stopped by Clawhauser's desk and been told that Chief Bogo needed to speak to them, Nick had whispered to her, "Here comes our parade."

Standing in front of Chief Bogo's desk now, it all felt like a horrible joke.

"Chief Bogo you can't be serious," said Judy.

"Unfortunately I've never been more serious, Hopps." The water buffalo's massive shoulders were slumped, as if they carried a weight too heavy for even a mammal as strong as him to bear. "I turned a blind eye for as long as I could, but there have been too many complaints. If I ignore the issue for any longer, all three of us could find ourselves out of a job."

"Let me guess," said Nick. "The majority of these complaints came from a certain feline officer with an oversized mane, am I right?"

Chief Bogo's expression stayed level. "You know I can't disclose who they came from, Wilde."

"We have never been anything but professional while on the job," argued Judy. "Whatever their reasons for lodging these complaints, you have to know they're baseless. Let us defend our case at least!"

"It's not about what you have or haven't done," said Bogo.

"No," said Nick bitterly. "Just about who and what we are."

"It's not about that either," said Bogo, earning dubious looks from both bunny and fox. "Look, the fact of the matter is, it's against policy for a mated pair to be partners, regardless of species, gender, age—doesn't matter. There's just too much possibility for bias, for one of you to make a judgement that has nothing to do with doing your jobs and everything to do with the fact that you're together romantically."

"We have never let the fact that we love each other stop us from doing our jobs," denied Judy. "We are the best out there, sir. Mated or not, no one is a better team than we are."

Their boss looked over his reading glasses at her. "If it's any consolation, I agree with you, Hopps."

Nick snorted. "Touching, but hardly helpful."

Judy couldn't help but agree. She hated this. Hated that because of one lion's pettiness, their ethics were suddenly in question. Hated that she was in danger of losing the best partner a bunny could have. But most of all she hated the look of resignation on Nick's face. As if this was no more than could be expected.

Chief Bogo sighed. He took off his glasses and set them on the desk, then leaned back in his chair and crossed his brawny arms over his even brawnier chest. "I wasn't going to mention this in case it didn't work out. But since I can see you two are going to be as hard-headed about this as you are with everything else, I might as well tell you: earlier today I put in a formal request for a policy change."

Hope hit Judy's system like a shot of adrenaline. The water buffalo saw how she perked up and raised a paw in warning. "Don't get excited yet, Hopps. There's no guarantee it will be approved."

"And who, exactly, needs to approve it?" asked Nick. By his flat tone of voice, he didn't share the same hope Judy did.

"The ZPD Board of Ethics, for one," said Chief Bogo. "I spoke with them about it earlier, and while they were against a full policy change, they did say they would possibly be open to making an exception for you two."

"Why do I feel like there's a 'but' coming?" said Nick.

The water buffalo looked at them squarely. "Special cases require final approval from a second government official. Supposedly it's a way to ensure decisions stay impartial. Really, it's so the board has someone to blame if the choice turns out to be the wrong one."

"And who might this brave, noble, scapegoat be?" drawled Nick.

Chief Bogo rubbed at his temples as if he were getting a headache. "The mayor."

"Mayor _Lionheart_?"

"Or whoever replaces him. Odds are the request won't be seen until after the election. Non-essential policy changes like this are usually put to the side during political campaigning."

"But that's weeks away!" exclaimed Judy, knowing as she said it that she sounded too distressed, too emotional, the exact reason mated partners weren't allowed in the first place. But the thought of losing Nick to something so _stupid_ after they had just found their stride together…

"Hey." Nick leaned in close. His paw was a warm weight against her arm, grounding her when it felt like everything around them was being upended. His voice was soft, patient, and more understanding than the situation deserved in Judy's opinion.

"It's going to be okay," he told her. "It's only for a little while, right? And it's not like we won't see each other around the precinct. I'm going to come bother you so much you'll be begging at me to leave you alone."

Judy smiled reluctantly at that.

"And we can still meet up every day for lunch."

"What if one of us is out in the field?"

"Then I'l come find you." Nick said it like a vow. "Even if it takes my entire lunch break. Even if all I have time for is making sure you're eating something healthy before heading back—"

"I always eat healthy," mumbled Judy.

"You do when I'm around," said Nick. "But who knows what kind of fatty, greasy vegetables you would eat if I weren't there to police you."

Judy snorted. But her heart felt lighter. If Nick could stay positive about this, then so could she. They would get through this together, in spirit if nothing else.

Chief Bogo cleared his throat awkwardly. "That might be hard to do."

As close as they were, Judy saw the flash of anger that passed over Nick's face, leaving it darker, harder. He turned to face Chief Bogo, stepping slightly in front of Judy as if their boss's words were a threat he needed to protect her from. "Don't tell me it's now illegal for us to eat together too?"

"Save the attitude for the criminals, Wilde. I'm referring to the fact that this precinct is currently under a hiring freeze. You were both at the meeting last month. Our budget just can't cover it right now. But policy states—"

"Again with the policy—"

" _Policy states_ that any officer active in the field requires a partner. Now, with Howle on den leave one of you can partner with Stella until he gets back. But the other one…" Chief Bogo heaved a great breath. "The other one is going to have to transfer districts."

"No." The word escaped without thought. Judy looked at her boss, silently willing him to take it back, to think of another way. It was one thing to lose Nick as a partner, but this? Depending on where they were sent, even meeting up after work might be a struggle.

A small, selfish part of Judy wanted to tell Chief Bogo to make someone else transfer. She deserved to be here. _Nick_ deserved to be here. They had proven themselves enough. More than enough. Couldn't someone else take the transfer, just this once?

She immediately felt ashamed of herself. They weren't the only ones who had studied and trained and sacrificed in order to be granted a spot at the head precinct. Every officer here had. They didn't deserve to be transferred any more than Nick and Judy did. Less, because unlike Nick and Judy, they hadn't broken any policy rules.

_Nick had warned me that this would happen._

Why hadn't she prepared herself better? Maybe if she had worked harder, come armed with a better argument—

She was distracted from her self-berating by the feel of Nick letting go of her arm. He stepped up before Chief Bogo's great desk, his chin up and shoulders back. He was still dressed in his formal blues, looking every inch the serious officer, and even with everything else going on the sight sent a tiny thrill through Judy. Which is probably why it took a moment for his next words to Chief Bogo to fully sink in.

"I'll take the transfer."

_Wait, what?_ Judy gaped at him. For the second time in so many minutes she found herself struggling to understand.

But their boss nodded as if he had expected no differently and asked, "Do you have a preference on the district?"

"The Sahara if you can swing it."

"I'll put in a word with Commander Addax in the morning."

"Wait, just, wait a minute!" said Judy. This was happening too fast. She needed to plan. She needed to _think_.

"It's okay, Carrots," said Nick. "You know I've always been partial to the desert anyway."

As if by letting him go she was somehow doing him a _favor_.

"Don't," she said. "I'm not letting you just give up like this."

"It's only temporary," he said, and then grimaced, as if even he couldn't stomach such a bald-faced lie. "Probably," he amended.

"No," said Judy. "There has to be another way."

"Pretty sure we're at this point because there isn't."

Judy turned to Chief Bogo. "You said the policy just has to get approval from the mayor, correct?"

Her boss's expression said he expected the question to be a trap. "Yes…"

"Then what's to stop us from going there right now and asking him?"

"You mean, like, right now, tonight?" said Nick.

"Why not? We can tell Mayor Lionheart what's going on and plead our case way better than any government document ever could." It was perfect. Why hadn't she thought of this earlier? They could have this sorted out by dinnertime tonight.

"You do remember that we almost got him fired, right?" said Nick. "And jailed? And sued?"

Judy dismissed this. "That was over a year ago. Lionheart said so himself in interviews that he'd been in the wrong and that he was proud of the ZPD's initiative."

"Yeah, but what a politician says on camera is not always the same as what he's thinking behind it," said Nick.

"Wilde has a point," said Chief Bogo.

Judy eyed the two of them. "Well we'll just have to make sure he knows how very _public_ his decision on this will be."

"I don't know, Carrots. We might want to wait and see if Cottonbutt gets into office. At least he'll be more likely to choose in your favor."

But Judy didn't want to wait. She didn't want to lose Nick for even a day. They had a way to win this. They _would_ win this. And she would prove to Nick that they could still overcome anything the world threw at them.

She would fix this. Tonight.

 

* * *

They went to City Hall first. It had seemed a safe bet being that it was only quarter after five on a Monday, during campaign season no less. But they were informed by his receptionist—a pig with a bouffant and pearls—that the mayor had left over an hour ago.

She redirected them to a swanky upscale restaurant in the canopy level of the Rainforest District that was only reachable by a twenty-minute cable car ride. The cable car service was privately owned by the restaurant and came with a separate charge that the operator wouldn't waive even for police. After debating it, Nic and Judy decided to go by foot. It took an hour. The walkways were steep and slick with rainwater. The ground had been pebbled to help with traction but it only made it that much more painful to walk on.

Nick was too out of breath to even appreciate the view of the restaurant when they finally reached the top. The place looked very much like a log cabin built directly into the trees, with giant plate glass windows set on all sides to give diners an almost godly view of the rainforest below. Heavy golden light spilled from the entrance, along with soft drum and flute music, promising warmth and comfort and a meal so expensive Nick would have had to pull off a high level con job in order to be able to pay for it.

It figured the Mayor ate here.

They hadn't made it farther than the entryway before they were told that Mayor Lionheart had already left for the night. They were advised to look for him at a place called Purrdita's Lounge over in Hyenahurst, a popular hangout for big cats and a favorite of Lionheart's.

So they trekked back down the path (at least it was easier than going up) and called for an ewebur. By this point Nick was cold and damp from the rainforest's incessant drizzle and starting to get hungry, which did nothing for his already dark mood. Neither he nor Judy spoke much during the fort-five minute drive. Judy was in full problem-solving mode while Nick was doing his best to remain as calm and rational as possible. As much as he wanted to snap and snarl, he knew it wouldn't help. He had been tempted, for a moment there back in Chief Bogo's office, to throw down some ultimatums just out of sheer anger and spite. If they thought having Nick and Judy working together was such a problem, well then, what if they didn't work for them at all? See how well they got by then. It's what he would have done in the past.

But he couldn't do that to Judy. This was her dream job. She had worked her whole life for it. And even if they didn't deserve her, and didn't give her a fraction of the credit she deserved, he would fight tooth and nail to make sure she got to keep doing it for as long as she wanted. Which meant no walking out or jeopardizing her position no matter how frustrated he got.

Really, that was a given.

What was more shocking was realizing that Judy wasn't his only reason for holding back. The truth was, Nick genuinely liked his job. And he found himself worrying about what would happen to Zootopia if he and Judy left. Judy was right that they were the best at what they did, and there were a lot of dangerous cases looming on the horizon. If something happened because Nick had walked away to make a point... even as he told himself half the citizens didn't deserve his protection and the risks he took for them... Nick knew, deep down, he would feel awful about it. _Ugh_. Nick supposed this is what Judy would call a "sense of duty." He didn't care for it _at all._

They were met with more bad news at the lounge. The cougar who answered the door told them that the mayor had been there, but that he had already gone home for the night.

"Can someone put a bell on this cat or something?" growled Nick, earning a glare from the cougar.

Judy called Clawhauser to look up the mayor's address, and then they were off again to Acorn Heights, a high-end neighborhood filled with luxury apartments and mini-mansions.

It was after eight when they finally pulled up to Lionheart's estate. Nick had expected the mayor's house to be the largest on the block, if not the whole neighborhood, but the place looked surprisingly modest for the lion-sized ego it housed. Or maybe that was an optical illusion, because what the estate lacked in square footage it more than made up for in surrounding acreage. It looked like a mini-savannah had been dropped right in the middle of a residential area, protected by high iron fences and multiple security cameras.

Nick and Judy were cleared at the front gate by a pair of wildebeest security guards who didn't so much as blink at seeing the famous fox and bunny officers in front of them. Nick surmised that either they weren't fans or working for the mayor was just that soul-sucking.

At least they let them use their golf cart to travel to the house. Nick was grateful for the loan. Anything to avoid another arduous hike. But Judy wrinkled her nose at the sight of the vehicle, and he knew she was thinking of the time she had spent stuck working as a meter maid when she'd first come to Zootopia.

Nick nudged her with his elbow. "Just like old times, eh, Carrots?"

She cut him a wry look. Nick was just glad she had come out of her thoughts enough to register him again.

They climbed into the golf cart—Judy driving, also just like old times—and Nick enjoyed the scenery as they made their way along the winding, paved road up to the house. In a way, it reminded him of Robin's place, with the home almost an afterthought to the land that surrounded it. But whereas the fox's land was filled with ancient trees and wild, unchecked forest, Lionheart's property was styled and arranged down to the last trimmed blade of grass. There were sunbathing rocks artfully arranged around clear, filtered drinking pools, flower gardens with marble lioness statues, and rows of topiaries pruned to look like herds of leaping antelope.

They were greeted at the front door by no less than six meerkats in suits who ushered them in and down the hallway like the world's most fidgety security team, scrambling over and around each other, falling back to watch behind them before bursting ahead to retake the lead. They made Nick twitchy, zigzagging around as they were. It was a relief when Nick and Judy were finally pointed through a nondescript oak door and left alone with Lionheart.

Well, alone besides the small wallaby doing what looked like aerobics on top of the mayor's bare back.

"Don't just stand in the doorway, you two," said Lionheart. "Come over here."

Nick and Judy took a few cautious steps forward. They were back outside, this time on a stone patio surrounded by dozens of oversized potted plants, some with leaves longer than Judy's ears. Grassland stretched out towards a distant city skyline that twinkled twice as brightly as the stars overhead.

_So this must be the back yard,_ thought Nick.

The mayor lay prone on a stone table long enough and sturdy enough to support both a fully grown male lion and the wallaby currently digging a heel between the mayor's shoulder blades.

"Excuse me for not getting up and greeting you properly," said Lionheart. "But my masseuse here really hates being interrupted once he gets going. Don't you, Jocko?"

From atop the lion's back the wallaby rolled his eyes.

"So what brings you two here at this time of night?" asked the mayor. "Bit late for work hours isn't it?"

"It wasn't late when we started out," Nick couldn't help muttering.

"Actually," said Judy, coming around so that she was in Lionheart's direct line of sight. "We came to ask you something."

Was she really going to just jump right into it? Nick wondered in alarm. Of course she was. This was Judy. She wouldn't know how to beat around a bush if she was dropped into the middle of hedge maze with a bat and leaf clippers.

"Need my advice on something, do you?" said Lionheart, and Nick had to fight the urge to bristle at the smugness in the mayor's voice.

"Actually, we—"

"No need to feel embarrassed about it, Hopps! Even the best of us need to consult the wisdom of our superiors sometimes— _ouch!"_ The mayor glared at the wallaby over his shoulder. "Watch where you're massaging there, Rocko. That was my kidney you just kicked."

Judy cleared her throat to try again. "Sir, Nick and I came to ask you if—"

Nick jumped in front of her. "—If you were doing okay after the attack at the campaign rally."

Both Judy and Lionheart looked at him in surprise. Even the wallaby raised an eyebrow. But Nick knew this particular game better than Judy did. He had conned enough mammals like the mayor to know that just asking outright wouldn't be enough. You had to come at them from an angle they wouldn't expect if you wanted a chance at convincing them to do something for you. A little fawning never hurt either.

"What a thoughtful gesture," said the mayor. "I really did have a trying day, you know. I'm still recuperating from it. My back is one giant knot of tension. Who knows when I'll be able to relax properly again."

Nick nodded solemnly. "It's the least we could do."

Judy stared at him as if he'd grown a second head.

Lionheart flicked his tail, warming to the sympathy. He let out a whiny sort of purr. "I wasn't going to complain about it. I'm a very forgiving sort, you know. But you two really bungled that whole incident today."

" _Bungled_?" choked Judy.

Lionheart pointed a claw at her. "In the event of a terrorist attack your first action should have been to protect the current city mayor, not some wannabe bunny whose ears are too big for his head."

Nick nodded along as if that made sense, distracting Lionheart while Judy took her time absorbing the insult to Cottontail. Taking a calming breath, she said evenly, "The attack was aimed at Benjamin Cottontail, which is why we responded how we did—"

"So you thought. But that could have been a ruse. Or that warthog could've had more deadly explosives for the rest of us once the rabbit was out of the way."

"I'd hardly qualify a rotten tomato as a dangerous explosive, sir."

"But you didn't know that at the time, did you?" said Lionheart. "That projectile could have been anything. And you left your mayor unprotected! I had to use my own strength and wits to escape to safety."

Fleeing to hide behind the stage wasn't exactly something that took much strength or wits in Nick's opinion, but he knew better than to say so, and thankfully, so did Judy.

"I'm sorry if you felt that we in any way failed as officers today," she managed to say, though each word looked like it pained her. "We are devoted to this city and making sure it stays safe for everyone."

"Of course you are." The mayor reached out to pat Judy on the shoulder with his huge paw. "Don't beat yourself up over it, Hopps. We all make mistakes. And I know you and Wilde are doing your best. Zootopia wouldn't be the great city that it is without you two. Don't think I don't know that. You'll always have a fan in the mayor."

Was using your own title the same as referring to yourself in the third person? Nick wondered. It was definitely irritating, as was Lionheart's confident assumption that he would still be the mayor in the future.

But that wasn't important. Seeing his opening, Nick wasted no time jumping back into the conversation. "Funny you should say that, sir, because right now we are finding ourselves faced with a problem and we could really use a fan like you to help us."

"Oh?"

Briefly Nick summarized their conflict with the ZPD policy and Chief Bogo's attempt to have an exception made for them. "The form should already be at your office. And with your approval, sir, Judy and I could continue working together, protecting this great city, as you put it. What do you think?"

The mayor had been silent during Nick's explanation, but at that he sat up, sending the wallaby tumbling to the ground with a yelp. Judy let out a hushed, " _Cheese and crackers,_ " and averted her eyes. Nick had to say there was something unsettling about seeing the mayor of the city in nothing but a towel, and a small towel at that.

Lionheart pulled out his phone and made a call to someone. Three minutes later a lioness entered and handed him a copy of the form.

"I see," the mayor said once he had finished reading it all over. "I have to say Chief Bogo makes a great case. I can't help but agree with him. And sympathize with you two, of course."

"So you'll approve it?" said Judy.

"Goodness, no!" exclaimed Lionheart, and though Nick couldn't say he was surprised, it hurt him to see the disappointment on Judy's face.

"But, you just said—"

"Just because I happen to agree doesn't mean I can approve it. Publicly side with two of the most polarizing figures in Zootopia? It would be political suicide!" The mayor shuddered. "The tagline of my campaign is 'bringing back stability.' That means no big changes, and absolutely no issues that could cause any kind of strife."

Nick couldn't keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "How bold of you."

"It's not about being bold," said Lionheart. "It's about reassuring the populace. After everything that's happened in Zootopia lately, what the citizens want is stability. Something my constituent apparently hasn't heard even with those long ears of his."

"So you're going to reject the form then." Judy's tone was bleak.

"Now, hold on," said Lionheart. "I didn't say that. Once I'm re-elected and everything settles down, we can revisit this. If I can give Zootopia a good reason for making an exception for you two, we may be able to work this out."

"What do you mean, 'give them a good reason?" said Nick. "Isn't everything we've done for Zootopia up til now a good enough reason?"

The mayor chuffed a laugh. "Don't be ridiculous. You know how short animals' memories are. I can't grant such a great boon for something you did over a year ago! It has to be for something recent, something big that really shows you've earned it. Now, I don't like to judge, but you two have been slacking a bit lately."

"Slacking," echoed Judy. "You think we're... slacking."

"It took you how long to catch a cop working in your own precinct?" said Lionhear, the reminder of Tibor making Nick tense. "And now I hear there's some hooded vigilante running around, solving all your crimes for you?"

"They're not solving any crimes," Nick gritted. "We know who the criminals are just as well as they do."

"Then why am I reading in the paper about some hooded crusader who's digging up evidence and leaving criminals tied up for the ZPD to find?"

Because the evidence was illegally gained, and the methods of catching the criminals more violent than what an officer could get away with, that's why. But it was clear the mayor didn't care about that. He only cared that the ZPD team looked like fools.

"We're still looking into it," was all Judy said.

Lionheart snorted, evidently not impressed with her answer. "Well until you can bust a case like that, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do for you."


	4. Chapter 4

"So are we not going to talk about what happened?"

Judy picked at her lettuce wrap and didn't answer.

_If you can't say anything nice…_

Her mother had drilled those manners into her, and Judy knew if she opened her mouth nothing _nice_ was going to come out.

It was bad enough that they had failed to convince Lionheart to approve the policy change. But to accuse them of slacking off? _Her_. A _slacker_. She had never been called anything so ridiculous in her life! And for that lazy, pompous feline to sit there and judge them like that—

"Is this a new thing? Strangling your food before you eat it?"

Judy blinked. In her anger and distraction, she had squeezed most of the filling out of her wrap. Mashed avocado and tomato juice ran down her wrist and dripped onto the takeout box.

Nick raised an eyebrow at her. "Should I be concerned yet?"

He said it jokingly, but Judy knew the worry behind his question was real. This was exactly why Nick had been afraid to start a relationship with her. Because he'd known it was only a matter of time before things like this started happening, and his worst fear was that it would drive Judy away from him.

That would never happen. She wouldn't give him up over this. She wouldn't give him up for anything. But she knew saying so wouldn't reassure him. Nick was far too cynical for mere words to convince him of anything. Only by showing him she was okay would he truly believe it.

So she forced herself to let the anger go along with her mangled wrap, giving Nick a grateful smile when he handed her a napkin. He had already finished his own dinner, the same veggie wrap combo as her. He hadn't even bothered adding the protein option. He was choosing vegetarian meals more and more these days. He said it was growing on him, but a predator needed protein. Judy had managed to badger him into getting some supplements to help compensate, but she wondered about the change. Should she be concerned? Flattered that he seemed to be developing tastes similar to her own? Or was she overthinking it? Whenever she pointed out Nick's food choices he always waved it off, and it seemed like too small a thing to make an issue out of. But then he'd get the tomato salad or pass by the snack aisle without bothering to grab his favorite brand of fried crickets and she couldn't help remembering Tibor's accusations that she was "ruining Nick's true nature." Of course she knew she shouldn't let the rantings of someone who had been (on top of many other things) mentally ill, jealous, and morally corrupt bother her, but that didn't stop the little niggle of doubt. After all, a fox could only eat so many blueberry pies before it became A Thing.

Giving up on dinner, she set it aside and flopped back on the couch. Nick settled back too. His gaze traveled over her as if pondering the mystery that was the bunny on his couch. As he did most nights when they got out of work, he had asked her, "Your place or mine?" and Judy had answered, "Yours," as she did more often than not. If she was being honest, part of her answer was because of the break-in. Judy just couldn't get back that sense of security her apartment used to give her, no matter how many deadbolts Nick installed on the front door or how many extra self defense classes she took.

But part of it was simply that she loved staying at Nick's place. The building was brick, constructed back when Zootopia was newer and the neighborhood had been considered ritzy. Other sections of the city had grown more popular since then, but the area was still quiet, the neighbors polite if aloof. You wouldn't see a lot of cubs or kits running around, but you didn't have to worry about being mugged on your way home at night either. Nick never said it, but Judy thought he had picked this place in honor of his mother, who had fought hard to live in a similar type of area.

The house itself was a cozy two story with narrow hallways and creaky staircases. This was not a place with an open floor plan. Each room was self-contained, small and oddly angled with plenty of nooks and crannies that a kit would love to play hide and seek in. Most of the rooms were closed off and used as storage, a mixture of family heirlooms and leftover bits and bobs from his conning days. But the rooms he used, like the living room they were in now, were clean and dusted and outfitted with the newest tech he could afford. The big screen tv was turned off now. The smart lights dimmed to create a suitably dark atmosphere that Judy appreciated in her current broody mood.

Most of all, she loved coming here because it meant Nick would be with her.

"I've got it!"

The exclamation jolted Judy from her thoughts. "Got what?"

"The answer to our problem!" Nick's grin was wide, his eyes bright with a mischief that told Judy to be on guard.

"And that answer is?"

"We'll stage a coup!"

"A… a coup?"

"It's perfect. All we have to do is take down Lionheart. I doubt anyone will even fight us for him. Then we'll overthrow the government and turn it into a…um…"

"Dictatorship?" said Judy dryly.

Nick wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, we'll have to rename it, to help with PR. Maybe… Freedomship? A utopian Zoo—wait."

Judy laughed, smacking at his arm. "That plan is terrible."

Nick caught her paw in his. "Then we could run away. Leave Zootopia and start our own city. I hear there's land out west. We could call it _Wilde Hoppington_."

"That's even worse!"

"Ok, then what about—"

She leaned in and kissed him. Nick made a surprised, pleased sound and let go of her paw to cup her cheek instead, drawing her closer. The day's tension slowly drained away, and Judy felt Nick relax along with her own fading stress levels.

They broke apart and she cuddled up against him, humming happily as Nick's arms settled around her. His sigh was a gentle breeze against her ear. "We could always ask Cottontail for his support. He's annoyingly helpful when it comes to you."

Judy knew how much it had cost Nick to make such an offer. She gave his middle a fond squeeze. "Regardless, Ben would need to win the election first. You were right before. There's nothing we can do now besides wait and see. We'll just have to be patient." She held up a fist and gave Nick her most determined look. "Don't worry. After everything we've been through, this will be a cakewalk in comparison."

Nick caught her paw, kissed it, then pressed it to his chest. Judy could feel the steady beat of his heart. She listened to the inhale/exhale of his lungs and thought about how she might not have this every day anymore. It was enough to make her eyes sting, and she blinked them away before Nick could notice.

She cast about for a topic of distraction. "Do you think Mayor Lionheart was serious earlier? About bringing in Ro—the vigilante?"

Nick stroked her paw as he thought about it. "Hard to say with him."

"You know we can't, right? Even if he does mean it."

"It _would_ make the wedding awkward," Nick conceded.

"He's just trying to help, you know. In his own way. He's bringing animals to justice that the ZPD isn't able to touch."

"He's breaking the law," said Nick flatly. "And bringing attention to himself while he does it. His reasons don't matter."

"Said the former con artist." Judy poked him in the side. "Since when have you become such a stickler for the law?"

"Since you."

"Ha, ha," said Judy, but Nick's gaze stayed steady and she realized he was being serious. "I never asked you to change for me, Nick."

"It's not about changing. It's about being careful to protect what we have."

"What does that mean?"

Nick lowered his voice, even though they were the only ones in the house and it was silent outside. "You've befriended a group of vigilantes, Carrots. And the closer you are to them, the worse it's going to look when Robin finally gets caught. And trust me, animals that show off the way he does always get caught. We're over here walking a tightrope just by being us; You know how many animals would love to push us off. When Robin is caught they'll say we covered for him, which won't be entirely wrong. We'll be tied into every offense he's made. At best, we'll lose our badges. At worst, we'll go to jail right along with him."

"So, what?" said Judy. "You want to turn him in? Get points with Mayor Lionheart?"

"I didn't say that. I'm just saying that a little more distance with the whole family might be wise."

Judy knew he had a point. Still. "Marian is my friend, Nick. And she's already struggling with so much. Between this wedding, her brother, and now Fru Fru, I can't abandon her."

She expected further argument, but Nick only sighed and she realized he hadn't expected any other answer.

"Then we'll be as careful as we can, and hope that Robin and his buddies do the same."

Judy cuddled back into him. Nick had taken off his tie and unbuttoned the top of his blue dress shirt, revealing a fluffy mess of white fur. Lightly, she raked her tiny claws through it, hiding a smile when she felt him shiver.

"And if Lionheart wins the election?" she asked. "How do we prove to him we deserve an exception?"

"Tomorrow is the rhino's date of exile," said Nick. "Once he's released, we can start tracking down his underground group. That will more than prove our worth."

Judy nodded. With so much happening, she had forgotten all about it.

She tried not to let her unease show. She wanted to find the rhino's leader as badly as Nick did, but her fox had just started healing from the betrayal and loss of Tibor. She didn't know what kind of effect diving back into this case would have.

She leaned in, pressing a kiss to Nick's forehead, then his nose, then his cheek, imagining each kiss as a ward of protection: _May no one hurt you. May no sadness touch you. May you come back to me safe, always, always, always._

It wasn't until she reached his lips that Nick finally responded, kissing her back and snaking an arm around her waist to draw her closer. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she yanked him down so that she was lying on her back, Nick stretched atop her, his mouth finding places along her throat and behind her ears that made her stomach tighten and her toes curl. He was always so careful with her. He never grabbed or pushed or held on too tight, even as Judy shoved and nipped and clung. It sometimes made her feel as if she were being too passionate, a cliché to bunnies everywhere. She didn't know how he always maintained such rigid control long after she had lost all of hers. If he didn't always look at her as he did afterwards—adoring, satisfied—she would be more worried. But it looked like this one point of contention was felt by her alone, and so she took it as a personal challenge. One day she would make Nick come undone utterly. No holding back.

Just the thought of it ratcheted up her desire, and she rolled them so that she was the one on top. Nick growled, a vibration that sent shivers through her, and she heard the popping of fabric as his claws dug into the couch cushions. She wanted to feel him grip her tight like that. She wanted his mouth on her throat, not just with sweet kisses but with scraping teeth and hot breaths. One day, she would succeed. Until then, she would enjoy the effort.

She always did love a good challenge.

* * *

It was with no small amount of restraint that Nick entered Chief Bogo's office the following morning with Judy, then stood back as she approached their boss's desk and said, "I'll be the one taking the transfer."

To give the water buffalo's credit, his only show of surprise was a slight raising of his eyebrows. He looked over at Nick. "And you are both in agreement on this?"

"Why do you think we got here so late?"

Judy sent him a cheeky wink over her shoulder; Nick scowled back at her. She was doing her best to make light of things, for his sake as well as Chief Bogo's, but Nick didn't feel like making things easy. He would go along with this because they had no choice if they wanted to keep their jobs, but he wasn't going to act like he was okay with it. He wasn't happy about losing Judy and he was even less happy she was the one taking the transfer.

They had argued back and forth about it all morning. Nick had been adamant he should be the one to go. "You got the position first," he told Judy. "It's only fair you get to keep it."

But Judy had only shook her head at him, water dripping from fur still damp from her morning shower. "It doesn't matter who got the position first. We've both more than earned the right to it since. So if that's your only reason—"

"I prefer working in the desert anyway. It's less of a hardship for me to go."

"That is a lie I am never going to buy, so you can stop trying to sell it." She'd had the nerve to grin at him then. "Any other excuse you want to try?"

Yes, but he knew it wouldn't go over well.

"Predators don't let their mates take the fall for them."

As expected, Judy had been less than amused by that. "Is that so? I don't think I learned that law back in basic. Or are you quoting from some kind of secret predator rulebook I don't know about?"

"I'm being serious, Judy. You can't expect me to sit back and let you take a punishment you don't deserve."

"Neither of us _deserves_ this, Nick. But if you think I'm going to let you take this on just because you're the predator and I'm… what? Some weak-hearted prey?"

"That's not what I meant."

"You think prey animals don't want to protect their mates too?" Judy had demanded. "We feel the same desperation to keep our loved ones safe as predators do, you know. What if we were both predators, huh? What then? Who gets to protect whom?"

"That's… more complicated," Nick had hedged.

"Why?" Judy had stepped up to him then, putting a paw flat to his chest in a gesture clearly meant to provoke. "Does it become an alpha-beta thing then? How does that get decided I wonder?"

"That's not how that works—" Nick had started to say, but then that small paw of hers had started to move, a slow, purposeful drifting down his chest and over his abdomen that made Nick lose focus. The look in her eyes was all dare, and as her paw came to a rest on his waistband, Nick had to swallow back a growl. His instincts were leaping to meet her silent challenge, but he leashed them back. She was angry and pushing his buttons on purpose. That was all this was. He knew better than to react to it. Nick remembered how distrustful she'd been of foxes. All it would take was one slip-up, one mistake during a passionate moment to put that fear right back into her. He refused to let that happen.

So he shoved his desire back, saying as lightly as his hoarse voice would allow, "I think we both know that's an uncontested status in our relationship."

Judy's brow had pinched, her mouth tipping into a troubled frown. It hurt Nick to see it, but he didn't have the self-control to try and console her right now. Just standing there and not touching her was taking all the willpower he had.

She'd let her paw drop then—thank the Great Turtle—and stepped back from him. Her tone turned brisk and business-like. "Then you agree? I should be the one to take the transfer."

"If it will make you happy."

"Being with _you_ makes me happy," she correct him, and this time when she touched his chest it was a gentle press over this heart.

Nick covered her paw with his own. "Me too," he said, and she smiled and rose up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

As she pulled away she added, "Besides, I'm the only one with a legitimate reason to go anyway."

"And that is?"

She'd given him a determined look. "I might find a new lead on Fru Fru this way."

"But that means…"

She'd nodded.

"You want to go to Tundratown?" Chief Bogo said it like she had asked to go live in the Wildlands.

"Yes, sir," said Judy. "I feel like I have a good rapport with Commander Stelmaria and could help solve some cases there."

The water buffalo grimaced at the mention of the snow leopard who ran the Tundratown precinct. "No one has a good rapport with that hellcat. But if that's where you want to go…"

"It is."

"Then consider it done."

"Thank you, sir." She looked at Nick. "Well, I guess I will see you after work, part—um, Officer Wilde."

"Yeah." Nick swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. "Be careful out there."

"You too."

And then she was gone, striding out the door with her ears held high. Nick had never been prouder of her—or felt more dejected.

"I"m sorry, Wilde."

Nick turned to Chief Bogo. His boss was watching him, a unnervingly sympathetic look on his face. Nick said nothing. He knew he meant it, but if the water buffalo thought Nick was going to forgive him just like that, he had another thing coming.

When it was clear Nick wasn't going to respond, Chief Bogo sighed and rose. "We should probably get going then. The exhile is taking place in an hour."

"I don't think so, sir."

Chief Bogo, who had been reaching for his hat, paused with a frown. "Excuse me?"

Nick cleared his throat and said more loudly, "I will not be going with you, sir."

"You're not going?"

"Oh, I am definitely going," said Nick. "Just not with _you_. I'll find my own way there."

At this Chief Bogo snorted, his posture relaxing. He finished putting on his hat and stepped around the desk. "I thought you were going to be more mature about this, Wilde."

Nick shrugged one shoulder. "I debated it. I know you didn't have a choice in terminating our partnership. I get that. At this point, there's been too many complaints, and the law's certainly not going to back us, so what else could you do?"

When Chief Bogo started to comment, Nick held up a paw. "But here's the thing, Chief: This was not a sudden issue. These complaints built over the course of months, during which time you warned no one and did nothing."

"And what would you have had me do, Wilde?" asked Chief Bogo. "You and Judy already knew the risks. Telling you about the complaints wouldn't have stopped anything."

"Why do you assume I wanted you to tell _us_ anything?" asked Nick.

"Who else would I talk to?"

"We both know who most of those complaints came from," said Nick. "An officer who hasn't exactly been employee of the month, has he? Picking fights, starting rumors. He's been just as much of a problem as Judy and I have ever been. And yet, because he's not technically breaking any policies, his behavior gets to slide."

"Wilde—"

" _That's why,_ " said Nick, raising his voice, "since this precinct seems to love technicalities so much, _technically_ speaking, it's _your_ fault Judy and I are in the position we are now. So as far as I'm concerned, until Judy and I are reinstated as partners, you and I are not on speaking terms for anything except official work business."

"Which means… no carpooling?"

"Have Clawhauser radio me if you need anything."

And giving his boss a mocking salute, Nick turned on his heel and left.

Behind him he heard Chief Bogo grumble, "This is going to be a long month."

Didn't Nick know it.

 

* * *

The first place Judy headed was to the Corsac's restaurant. It wouldn't be opened for several hours yet, but everyone who knew Marian and her brothers (and now Robin and his sister) knew that this was the family's true watering hole, not the quaint row-house four blocks down.

The sign on the door said closed, but the door was unlocked and Judy could hear multiple voices inside. She went in, the bell on the door handle announcing her entrance with a cheerful jingling.

Conversation faltered as four heads turned: Marian, Reynard, Scarlet and Will. They sat at one of the nicer tables, with a window that overlooked a small garden outside where Marian grew vegetables for her dishes. Warm morning light spilled onto the table, illuminating scattered stacks of papers and oversized coffee mugs. It reminded Judy of Nick's desk when he was in one of his procrastination moods.

"Judy!" Marian waved her over, her smile bright. Even Scarlet and Will, who were usually pretty aloof with their feelings, perked up at the sight of her.

"Join us," said Marian. Even as she said it, Reynard was on his feet, pulling over a chair for her.

"Oh, no, that's okay," said Judy. "I can't stay long."

"Please, stay," said Reynard, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "If you have any mercy in you at all. We could use the break."

Judy sat, scanning the papers they had been looking at more closely. Dozens of pictures of wedding dresses, flower arrangements, and meal ideas covered the table. There were fabric swatches, scribbled notes with different names, dates, and locations. A half-buried tablet showed a looping video of a deer in a wedding dress walking down a snowy, forested lane holding a bouquet of holly.

"Is this all for the wedding?" she asked, feeling overwhelmed just by the sight of it.

"This isn't even half of it," said Will. "We keep whittling the lists down, but—"

"Robin keeps adding news things to it," finished Scarlet.

"He means well," defended Marian, half to Judy, and half to the mutinous looking trio seated around her. "He just wants me to have the perfect wedding, so he keeps finding these things to suggest…"

"No one needs a hedge maze made out of twelve different kinds of roses," said Will.

"Even so, it would be rude to tell him no without even looking it over first."

Scarlet snickered. "That's so naive it's adorable. I can't wait to see you after a few years of marriage. A hundred buck says she learns to say 'no' in four months."

Reynard eyed his sister. "Two. She already says no to us all the time."

"Your her brothers. It's different."

"How d'you figure?"

Scarlet smirked in a way that made the young male wrinkle his nose. "That's disgusting."

Scarlet laughed, deep and husky. She elbowed Will next to her. "What about you, cat? Care to place a wager?"

The caracal scowled. "No bet."

"Boring as usual, I see."

Those bright fox eyes turned to Judy. The bunny held up her paws. "Officers can't gamble on the clock."

"Shame. Still, you can always find me after work if you change your mind."

"That might be difficult…" Judy admitted, and the hesitance in her voice caught her friend's attention. Marian leaned towards her, concern in her eyes. "Has something happened?"

So Judy explained about the ZPD's policy on partners dating and how she was transferring to Tundratown for a while.

"What a ridiculous policy," said Scarlet.

"Sounds reasonable to me," said Will.

"Cold cat."

Will shrugged. "The policy is there for a reason."

"Anyway..." said Judy, "I don't plan on it being for long. Nick and I are going to do everything we can to get an exception made—"

"That's the spirit!" said Scarlet.

"But until then, I won't be able to stop by as much. I just wanted to let you know."

"Of course you must focus on your work," said Marian. Judy was grateful for her friend's understanding, but she still felt guilty. She had promised to help her with the wedding plans, but that wasn't going to be possible now.

"If only Fru Fru were here," said Marian, voicing Judy's thoughts. Fru Fru would have been ecstatic organizing the wedding.

"I'm hoping going to Tundratown will help me find her," said Judy. "Her family's from there, after all."

"You're talking about Mr. Big's daughter, right?" said Scarlet. "That arctic shrew who ran in the underground for a while?"

At Judy's nod, she pursed her lips. " _Hmm_. Interesting. You know, I'm very good at finding things—mammals, items, you name it. I could help you out, if you'd like."

Nick's warning about getting too close to Robin and his friend's came back to Judy then. Though she wasn't about to end her friendship with Marian, she had to admit that hiring Scarlet, who was a close associate of Robin's, might not be the wisest move right now.

"That's okay—" she started to say, but Scarlet cut her off.

"Please. It will give me an excuse to take a break from all this wedding craziness. No offense," she said to Marian, who smiled weakly.

"Robin told you to lay low for a while," said Will.

"I can't do both? You underestimate my abilities, cat."

"You _over_ estimate your abilities, fox."

Scarlet bared her teeth at him.

Will sipped his coffee, unimpressed.

The Corsac siblings sent Judy identical looks of apology.

Scarlet turned back to Judy. "I'll find your shrew for you. I won't even charge you for it. That's how good and selfless I am, unlike other mammals who never do anything for free." She said this with a dirty look at Will, who rolled his eyes.

"That's…" stammered Judy.

"I know. You're touched, right? To get these kinds of skills working for you. I'm the best in Zootopia, you know. Could have been a cop myself if I hadn't been—"

Will coughed loudly.

"—already under contract." The fox winked at him. "I love a good mystery. Do you now that in my entire life, there's only been one mystery I couldn't solve?"

"What mystery was that?" asked Judy, curiosity getting the better of her.

Scarlet shook out her tail, smacking Will not-so-accidentally in the side of the face with it. She jabbed her thumb at him. "Why _he's_ such a stick in the mud."

Will put down his coffee mug and stood. "I think we're done for the day."

"B-but we've barely gone over anything!" said Marian, looking a bit desperately at all the papers in front of her.

"I'll see about getting my secretary to come over and help. He's better at these kinds of things anyway."

Scarlet sniffed. "I bet his rates are cheaper than yours anyway."

"You would think that, wouldn't you?"

With a curt nod to Marian, he left.

Judy rose as well. "I should get going too. They're going to be expecting me at the Tundratown precinct."

The front door jingled. Will sidestepped as Craven stalked past. He made a beeline for the kitchen, not acknowledging any of them. Marian watched her brother go with sad eyes.

"Is he doing any better?" Judy asked quietly.

Marian shook her head. "No. And he's so distant these days. He keeps disappearing, sometimes for days at a time. Reynard's been trying to keep an eye on him, but he's good at losing tails he doesn't want. Short of tying him down, I don't know what to do."

"Should I try talking to him?" offered Judy. "Or maybe Nick?"

Marian shook her head. "I don't think it would do any good. We've all tried... but he refuses to open up. Yesterday he even snapped at Todd. He's _never_ done that before. He was always such a kind kit, even as a teen he was always so sweet and thoughtful..."

"It's probably just some belated growing pains," said Scarlet. "Even the most even-tempered kit goes through them."

"No, this is different," said Marian. "I worry he never dealt properly with what happened to us last year. He tends to overthink things. And he was left alone in that hospital for so long while we were... out there. He's always been a worrier." She rubbed at her eyes. "I just wish he'd _talk_ to us."

Scarlet reached over to give her should an awkward pat, Sharing a worried look with Judy.

Reynard shot a black look at the kitchen. "What he needs is a good beating. Apparently almost dying in that fight ring wasn't enough for him."

"Do you think he's trying to reconnect with that group?" asked Judy, and Marian looked up with horrified eyes.

"I don't know," said Reynard. "If he is, he hasn't found them yet. He's not _that_ good at hiding things from me."

There wasn't much to say after that. Judy took her leave, making Marian promise to call if she learned anything or needed any help. Scarlet also promised to look into Fru Fru's disappearance. Though Judy told her not to push herself, the fox was adamant about helping. There was nothing Judy could do but thank her and hope she was as good at keeping a low profile as she was at finding things.

Surprisingly, Will was still outside when Judy exited the restaurant. She joined him on the sidewalk, and for a moment they stood together, watching the building and thinking of the foxes within.

Will broke the silence first. "Be careful working with Scarlet. Trouble follows her everywhere. And while she's good at getting out of the messes she makes, I have a feeling that won't be as easy for you as an officer."

Not for the first time, Judy wondered at this cat who worked so closely with Robin. He obviously knew the truth about the fox's less-than-legitimate activities, and yet he seemed like such a strait-laced lawyer. It made her wonder how they had first met, and what held them together still.

"You sound like Nick. Always thinking about the worst case scenario."

"Someone has to be the reasonable one. Even if it is a thankless position."

"I'm always thankful," said Judy. "It means he worries about me. Just like how you worry about all of them." She nodded towards the restaurant.

The caracal's mouth twitched. "For all the good it does. They'll ignore my advice, just like always. I should charge Robin more for having to put up with such annoyances."

"You won't." Even as she said it, Judy realized it was true. Even more than that... "You don't charge Robin at all, do you? You're doing all of this for free. Even when Marian and her brothers were in court last year, and the same with this wedding."

Will slid her an appraising look. "What makes you think that?"

But Judy knew she was right. She couldn't say how she knew, but whatever kept Will around, it wasn't money.

"Why do you let them all think you're being paid to help them?"

The caracal sighed. "Because it's easier that way."

 _Easier than just being friends?_ wondered Judy. She wanted to ask, but Will was already walking away, and she knew even if she chased after him that she wouldn't get a satisfactory answer. The caracal was a mystery, definitely; Scarlet had been right about that. But Judy had too many other more important mysteries to figure out first. So she let him go, instead heading off in the opposite direction towards the snowy mountains of Tundratown. It was time to face her cold new reality.


	5. Chapter 5

"It's good to see you again, Officer Hopps."

"You as well, Commander."

The snow leopard gestured to the wingback chair in front of her desk. "Have a seat then."

Judy hopped up onto the plush cushion, sitting on her paws so she wouldn't be tempted to start fiddling them. Though she greatly admired the leader of Tundratown's police department, being pinned with the predator's full attention was enough to make even the most innocent mammal want to squirm.

The snow leopard leaned back in her chair and considered her. It was a slow, blunt appraisal that gave nothing away and made Judy second guess every decision she had made that morning, from her outfit to the time of her arrival.

To distract herself, Judy looked around the office, noting all the ways in which it varied from Chief Bogo's. Really, it would have been more challenging to spot the similarities. The water buffalo's office was a cramped space filled with dented and scratched filing cabinets, a scuffed laminated floor, and an old desk covered in coffee stains and warped by the unrelenting weight of heavy files and Chief Bogo's massive elbows.

Commander Stelmaria's office, on the other hand, was just as magnificent and intimidating as its owner. Built-in wood shelves lined the walls, filled with books on every legal topic imaginable. Her desk was immaculately organized, the wood polished to a glossy shine. Behind it, a floor to ceiling window looked out over the snow-covered grounds where a bright afternoon sun reflected off the ice, turning it glowing and casting a luminous silhouette on the snow leopard's fur. It made her appear otherworldly. A feline come to smite all the unworthy.

"I was surprised to hear about your sudden transfer," said the commander. "I was even more surprised to learn that you requested to be transferred to this district. Not many officers do."

"The transfer wasn't by choice, as I'm sure you're aware," said Judy, and Stelmaria tipped her head in acknowledgment. "But since I had to go, I thought the least I could do was come to Tundratown."

"And why did you think that?"

Judy shifted on her paws. "This precinct has done so much for me. Your team helped save my partner's life, and the life of mammals I'm now proud to call friends. If working for you could pay back even a fraction of that debt, then I am happy to do so."

Beside Judy, a fireplace that was larger than her childhood bedroom crackled and spat sparks as a log snapped. It should have lended the room a sense of coziness, but one glance at the snow leopard's sharp gaze was enough to banish any feelings of sleepiness one might be tempted to indulge in.

"What a saccharine bunch of nonsense," said the cat.

"I-I'm sorry?"

"We are both pragmatic creatures, officer Hopps," said Commander Stelmaria. "And as such, I am not about to turn away the chance at gaining an upright, competent employee such as yourself just because your reasons for coming here aren't as pure as the new fallen snow. So cut the bull crap and tell me why you really chose this district, and I'll see what I can do to accommodate you."

Embarrassment swept Judy, and for that moment she was glad Nick wasn't there to witness her getting caught out so quickly in a lie. Still, the snow leopard's practicality also came as a relief, and Judy knew better than to waste time twice. "I'm looking for a missing mammal. A friend. It's nothing official, but she vanished several weeks ago and I'm worried. I was hoping I would have more luck finding a lead here in her home district."

Stelmaria gave Judy another one of those long, silent assessments. This time, Judy held her gaze, letting the feline see her sincerity and desperation.

Finally, the commander nodded. "All right."

"Really?"

"Mm. You have my permission to stay here and investigate your friend's case. But _only_ after you've finished with your official workload for the day. Tundratown's citizens must come before any personal issues you have. If I find you are neglecting your duties, I _will_ see to it that you are transferred to the deepest swamps of the Rainforest District for the rest of your career. Are these conditions acceptable to you?"

"They sound more than fair," said Judy. "Thank you for your understanding."

The snow leopard flowed to her feet. "That's settled then. Now, shall I reintroduce you to your team?"

Judy hopped down from her chair. "Please."

As they traveled down the chilly corridors of the precinct, the snow leopard went over the standard practices and regulations of being an officer of Tundratown. Some of them Judy was used to, like staying in contact with the precinct and never going out on patrol alone. But some were special to Tundratown, like always dressing appropriately. "And I'm not talking about keeping your uniform tidy," said Stelmaria, "though I _will_ dock your pay if I find you strolling around here unkempt. I'm talking about coats, gloves, protective weather gear. You especially. Your species isn't made for the elements here. Get with the snowshoe hares for some pointers. And always have the radio in your vehicle tuned to the ZPD's official weather channel for Tundratown. Bad weather in Savannah Central means mammals get some sand blown into their eyes. But a sudden storm in Tundratown can kill you if you aren't prepared for it."

"I remember," said Judy. She had almost lost Nick to a blizzard here not a year past.

"I suppose you do," said Stelmaria. She took in Judy's thermal coat and gloves. "At least you came dressed adequately this time."

She then proceeded to give Judy a rundown of exactly how long it took for a mammal to succumb to hypothermia depending on their size, weight, outfit, and outside temperature. Judy did her best to commit it all to memory as they stepped into a large open room with several bay doors, currently closed. Dozens of snow vehicles of various types filled the space, arranged in neat, precise rows. Frost dusted the walls here and there like spiderwebs. Judy's breath escaped her in a plume of white.

"Our precinct's garage," said Stelmaria. "Each door is reinforced and there's 24 hour monitored security. This isn't your ZPD's standard parking lot. Because of the extreme climate and terrain our vehicles require a lot of upkeep in order to keep them in peak running condition. It's important that everyone knows how to do basic repairs in case anything ever breaks down while out in the field. No exceptions. Your team was scheduled for maintenance duty today so they should be around here somewhere."

From off to the right came an echoing clatter of metal striking metal, followed by an irritated yip. Stelmaria and Judy followed the sound down several rows until they found the team hunkered around a gas-powered ski vehicle similar to the one Judy had ridden the last time she had visited.

Officers Fang and Clawe spotted her first. The young wolf officers bounded up to her, nearly bowling her over in their excitement to greet her.

"Hopps is back!"

"Is it true you were transferred here?"

"Are you really joining our team?"

"Officer Mink is going to be _sooo_ jealous when she hears."

"Settle, you mutts!" barked Stelmaria, and the pair fell back a step, jostling each other in the process, which turned into elbowing and then shoving and growling. Stelmaria hissed at them. It was a quiet hiss, but they immediately fell still.

A female polar bear who had been lounging near a heated floor vent rose and nodded to the snow leopard. "Commander."

"Officer Eisbaer. Where is officer Dill?"

"Working on Snowflake. Said her console needed a system update."

"You name your vehicles?" said Judy. How unexpectedly whimsical.

"Only our favorite ones," said officer Fang with a wink. "Snowflake is the Commander's pride and joy. I'm living just for the day when I'll finally get to drive it."

"You're life expectancy isn't long enough, wolf," said the cat. Officer Clawe snickered. Fang elbowed him in the stomach.

"So which one is it?" asked Judy. She looked over at the rows of snow bikes, ski vehicles, and modified vans. "One of these?"

Both of the wolves erupted into guffaws. Even officer Eisbaer made a coughing noise Judy suspected was a quickly smothered laugh.

"Hardly," said commander Stelmaria. She turned and shouted into the distance, "officer Dill! Report!"

A door on a second floor balcony flew open, and a familiar horned head poked out. "Yes, Commander?"

"Get down here and greet your new teammate."

"Yes, commander!"

He sprang out, ignoring the built-in rungs in favor of picking his own way down, nimble as only a mountain goat could be and clearly experienced with the climb, and that's when Judy realized what she had thought was a frost-covered wall was actually another vehicle. No, not just another vehicle. This was a _tank_. An actual tank that was painted snowy white and nearly 20 feet in height, with tracks so massive Judy could have hidden in-between the tread. The barrel stretched out over the other snow mobiles and ATV's like a finger pointing towards doom.

" _That's_ Snowflake?" squeaked Judy.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" said Stelmaria, her eyes soft with fondness, as if she were showing off a new baby and not a high-powered military machine.

Judy nodded dumbly.

Officer Dill came over and shook Judy's paw. "It's a pleasure meeting you again, officer Hopps. We're all very excited to have you join our team."

"Thank you for having me," said Judy, tearing her eyes away from the terrifying vehicle to focus on the mountain goat. He looked the same as the first time she had met him. A little disheveled, but still neater than either of the wolves. He had the distracted look of someone who was always half-thinking about something else even while he was talking to you. But his words rang sincere, and his smile was warm. "I see you came wearing gloves this time."

"I learn my lessons well," said Judy.

"Then there's hope yet that you will survive here," said Stelmaria. She held out her paw. "To new beginnings. May the ending you find not be in vain."

It was pretty heavy, as far as greetings went. Judy took the proffered paw and shook, adding, "Or found too soon."

"Hear-hear!" said officer Fang, which was immediately echoed by officer Clawe.

"One can always hope," said Stelmaria.

* * *

Nick wasn't sure what kind of crowds to expect, so to avoid possibly getting stuck in traffic he decided to take public transit and then travel the rest of the way on foot.

The date and location of the rhino's exile was public record for anyone who cared to look for it, but the ZPD had made it a point to not give out the information at any of the press conferences. It had been so long since anything like this had been done that there was no way to guess at the size or mood of the crowd. The last thing officials wanted was a riot on their paws.

He made his way up the steps of the subway and out onto the sidewalk, slipping into a stream of traffic that was slow but steady. He found himself following a pair of echidnas who were discussing the rhino's exile as casually as one might talk about a long-awaited movie, including theorizing about possible twist endings.

"I think the judge will let him off at the last minute. No way they're going to go through with this."

"I think he's going to break down. Maybe give some kind of dramatic confession."

"He hasn't spoken since they took him in, you know. Not _once_. That has to mean something, right?"

Nick kept his distance as they headed towards the border. At one point, one of the echidnas looked back and spotted him. They dropped their voices a bit after that, but didn't seem bothered to have an officer following behind them. Nick took that as a good sign of the crowd's temperament.

The walk was long and hot. Whoever had been in charge of picking the location for the rhino's exile had purposely chosen the most inhospitable stretch of borderland they could find. Nick didn't know if that was to deter potential gawkers or more to make a statement: _Break the law and this could happen to you, too_.

It was certainly going to make for a dramatic photo op.

A crowd had already begun to gather behind the wooden barriers the ZPD had set up. It seemed to be divided into two main sections with general onlookers like the echidnas filling in the gaps. Both sections carried signs. The signs on the right said things like _Mercy Over Murder; Keep Zootopia Civilized_ ; and _X-Exiling_. The signs on the left boasted slogans such as, _Monsters Must Go; No Rest for the Rabid;_ and _Kill the Beast!_

Reporters were there too. They had taken up positions by the barriers closest to where the rhino stood, looking for the best angle from which to capture the drama. They called out questions to him, their camera flashes mere flickers in the bright morning sunlight. But the rhino remained as unresponsive as ever. Officer Francine and Officer McHorn stood on either side of him, looking as stoic as their charge.

Nick ducked under the barrier and made his way over to them.

"Did you lose the chief somewhere?" asked officer Francine.

"We came separately."

"How come?"

At that moment the crowd parted and Chief Bogo appeared, breathing in labored snorts. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead between his horns. "Traffic's terrible on Huntington Street. I had to leave Hipperta with the cruiser and hoof it so I wouldn't be late." He glowered at Nick, as if he blamed him for his exhaustion.

"You two fighting or something?" asked McHorn.

"Yes," answered Nick at the same Chief Bogo snapped, "No." They glared at each other.

"Really, you two are more immature than the politicians," said Francine.

"They came _here_?" said Nick.

"Of course they did. Did you really think they'd let a chance to give the public their opinions pass them by?" She waved her trunk towards a group of reporters Nick had overlooked before. They were clumped around several familiar faces. Mayor Lionheart was the easy standout, but the other constituents were there too. Nick could just see the top of Cottontail's ears.

"They've been arguing over whether or not exiling should be banned," said Francine.

"Have they come to a consensus?"

She snorted through her trunk. "Of course not. Cottontail wants to ban it. So does Mr. Horton, the elephant. Ms. Nanuk the polar bear thinks it's no more than bad animals deserve. And mayor Lionheart is very carefully not giving an opinion while still managing to talk over everyone."

"What about Swift?"

"The sloth? They haven't given him time to finish a sentence, bless him. Only the Great Turtle knows what he thinks."

Nick looked at the rhino standing silent between the two officers. "And this one here? He do any talking yet?"

McHorn shook his head. "Quiet as a field mouse."

_Good_.

It took another half hour for the judge to arrive. "Apparently, _he_ hadn't felt the need to get out of his vehicle and _run_ just to be on time, unlike _some_ mammals," Nick loudly pointed out, to his boss's ire.

The judge was an older elk dressed in his official robes. Nick had seen him in court a few times. He looked just as forbidding standing in the middle of a barren field as he did seated behind a stand.

Chief Bogo and Mayor Lionheart made their way over to greet him. Everyone else of unofficial import lingered a respectful distance behind, though Nick could tell that the constituents were itching to join them.

I'm going to keep this short," the judge told them by way of greeting. "No need to drag out this unpleasant business any longer than we have to."

"A wise decision," agreed the mayor. "We want to make an example of him, not give him any more fame than he already has."

"The doctor is ready when you are," Chief Bogo told the judge.

"Let's wrap this up then."

A squat podium not unlike the one used for the political campaign rallies had been erected near the border, facing towards the crowd. The judge stepped up to it and the rhino was brought over to stand next to him. Behind them a bleak landscape of half dead grass and scrub brush stretched towards a horizon that shimmered like water under the rising sun.

The crowd fell hushed, even those wielding signs. The reporters pressed closer. The only sounds were those of the wind and the click of cameras.

The judge cleared his throat. "Today we stand witness to the first exile this city has seen in over three decades. I want everyone to know that it gives me no pleasure to be the bearer of this decision, which was not made lightly or in haste. Nor was it made out of anger for the atrocities this animal has committed. It was made, as ever, for the safety and happiness of the citizens of this great city, Zootopia."

He looked over at the rhino, who did not acknowledge him with so much as a glance. "It is a privilege to live within the protection and care formed by others, whether it's a predator with their pack, prey with their herd, or a citizen of a city. I'm sorry to say that today you have lost that privilege. I hereby declare you exiled from Zootopia. From this day forward, you must rely entirely on your own wits for survival. I hope your instincts guide you towards a more honorable life. May the Great Turtle show you mercy."

He gestured for the physician to come forward, a solemn kangaroo in a doctor's coat and scrubs. The crowd stirred and started to whisper as the rhino's ear was cleaned and tagged. Those with signs took that as their cue to start shouting out their demands for mercy or for blood. The rhino responded neither to the pain of the piercing nor the onlookers cries.

"Do you have any last words you'd like to say before we send you off?" the judge asked once the kangaroo had finished and stepped away.

The rhino turned his head, and the world seemed to slow for Nick as they made eye contact for the first time since the rhino had been taken into custody.

It had been months since Tibor's betrayal and death. Months of Nick blaming himself and others for what had happened. Months of wondering if there had ever been a moment or a way he might have changed things. And while the anger and pain still hadn't gone away, it had at least become manageable, like some kind of chronic illness.

But finding himself staring into that dead-eyed gaze, still devoid of remorse or shame, caused all that banked rage to flare back to life. Nick could feel the burn of it in his throat. Hear the roar of it in his ears. How dare this rhino meet his eyes so boldly, after everything he had done? In that moment, all of Nick's long thought-out plans for justice didn't seem anywhere near as satisfying as running forward and shredding that blank face until it finally succumbed to a single emotion: regret. If only the rhino would attempt to charge him, give Nick any excuse—

But the rhino made no move to attack. Instead he held Nick's gaze, and in a voice gravely from disuse, he said, "Long live the Natural Order."

Whispers broke out. Cameras flashed. In the distant city traffic someone honked their horn. But a minute passed, and then two, and it become evident that he would say no more.

With effort, Nick leashed his fury, so that he was able to watch with something resembling calm as Chief Bogo stepped forward and unlocked the rhino's cuffs. All the other officers tensed, prepared to respond to any last-ditch attempts at an attack. But the rhino turned away without a fuss. He stepped over the broken bit of fence that delineated Zootopia from the Wildlands as casually as one might step over an overlarge crack in the sidewalk. Cameras started snapping like crazy as everyone fought to get a good picture. Reporters shouted questions at his retreating back.

"How does it feel to be in the Wildlands?"

"What did you mean by your last words?"

"Do you have a plan for how you'll survive?"

"Are you leaving anyone dear to you behind?"

But there was no response and he didn't look back. He walked into that shimmering horizon as if it were a natural direction to go. And all the while, the fox watched.


	6. Chapter 6

It was after sunset when Judy finally made it back to Downtown. The temperature was mild but breezy, and every gust across her chilled fur sent a shiver through her. She found a free bench and hopped up, tucking up her legs and hugging her knees to try and will some heat back to her limbs.

Nick had texted her to meet him at Nocturne Park. Despite its name, it was open during daylight hours. However, the place really came to life after sunset. Soft yellow lights twinkled in the overhanging trees and illuminated wide, meandering paths. Kits darted around the legs of parents who had come out for a family stroll. Food carts took up prime positions around the center fountain, with offerings of anything from pawpsicles to insect tacos. In the open field a pack of wolves played an intense game of frisbee. A pair of cougars watched them with haughty amusement from the sidelines, their heads in perfect sync as they tracked the whizzing disk back and forth, tails flicking.

"Carrots!"

Nick appeared around a turn in the path. He broke into a grin when he saw her and Judy's heart leapt. Which was silly. It had only been a day. They had gone longer than that without seeing each other before. There was no reason to get to emotional about it.

But Judy felt as if she had been telling herself that all day. She had told herself that when she had walked away from Nick that morning in Chief Bogo's office. When she had gone to lunch with her new team and remembered there was no need to save a seat beside her. When they had responded to a call about a polar bear who had sat down on some thin ice and cracked it, getting his butt stuck, and no one had made a single joke about it.

So yes, they had gone longer than this without seeing each other. But all those other times Judy had been reassured with the knowledge that even while apart, they were still partners. There was still a connection tethering them. Dating in comparison felt so… tenuous. So many things could go wrong. So many external and internal issues that could severe their relationship for good—and then what? What would be left of their friendship then?

The question terrified her.

Judy launched herself off the bench at him. Nick caught her with a breathless, " _Oof,"_ that set him back a step, and _ooh_ , if Judy had been a cat she would have purred at how warm he felt. Heat positively radiated from his fur. She wanted to burrow into it. "You're so warm."

"That's what happens when you spend all day out in the desert." He rubbed at her back and arms. The rough, heated pads of his paws sent zings of pleasure through her along with a delicious heat. When he started massaging the icy tips of her ears, Judy thought she might melt into a puddle of bliss.

Nick made a tsking noise. "Why are you so cold? Didn't they give you adequate protection in that snowy waste they call a district?"

"I had plenty of protection," said Judy. The truth was, no amount of layers or quality fiber could completely keep out the kind of cold that ruled over Tundratown. It was something she was just going to have to get used to for as long as she was there.

Nick wouldn't like hearing that, however, and Judy didn't want to get into another argument over her transfer. So instead she lowered her voice, saying in a husky whisper, "Besides, I have you here to warm me up afterwards, right?"

Nick's breath caught and his grip on her ears reflexively tightened. The sensation made Judy think half a dozen naughty thoughts before her fox caught himself and released her, shaking his head. "You're incorrigible, Carrots. Have you even eaten yet? I think I passed a food truck that sells some sort of veggie plate a little ways back."

Just the thought of food of it made her stomach audibly growl. Nick's lips twitched. "I'll take that as a yes." He pointed to the bench behind her. "Save our seats. I'll be right back."

He returned with two steaming bowls of rice heaped with vegetables and covered in a delicious sticky sauce that was both tart and sweet. Judy burned her tongue twice in her haste to eat.

As she was scraping up the last grains of rice from her bowl that she noticed Nick had stopped eating and was watching her.

"What?" She wiped at her chin self-consciously. "Do I have sauce on my face?"

He shook his head, reaching over and swapping her empty bowl with his half-full one. "You know being out in the cold burns more calories," he told her. "You'll have to make sure you eat enough."

"Naggy fox."

His only response was to give the bowl in her paws a pointed look. Judy reluctantly dug in, more slowly this time.

"Does that mean you'll buy dessert too?" she asked after a few bites.

Nick barked a laugh. "Oh so _that's_ how you're gonna play this?"

"Play what works. Isn't that what you taught me?"

"The cheek on this one! Ok, I see how it is."

Nick did buy her dessert. Not pawpsicles—just the thought made Judy break out in goosebumps—but a warm apple on a stick that had been baked and then covered in a gooey cinnamon glaze.

Afterwards they wandered over to the playground area, where they watched a group of young lemurs doing fancy acrobatics on the monkey bars, swinging and flipping from one end to the other, doing their best to one-up each other.

After a while of watching, Judy looked over to see that Nick had pulled out his phone and seemed to be wholly absorbed with whatever was on the screen.

"Something interesting?" she asked.

His shoulders jerked and he looked up guiltily. "Ah. Sorry. I just wanted to check on something."

"Check in on what?"

He handed her the phone. He had some kind of map application open. Two dots blinked in tandem some several miles from each other. One was nestled in a zoomed out overview of the city. The other was slowly drifting across an open expanse of desert, with a dark squiggle here and there that Judy thought might be canyons. The vastness of it made Zootopia looked like a speck by comparison.

"I had a talk with the technician who was in charge of preparing the rhino's ear tag this morning." Nick pointed to the second dot. "That's him."

"He's made it so far already?" He must have walked non-stop all day. Judy watched the dot for several minutes. "He hasn't turned back," she noted.

"Not yet. But he will." Nick stared down at the screen, as if through sheer willpower he could make the rhino turn around. "He has to."

It might have been selfish, but Judy found herself hoping that Nick was wrong. She wanted to solve the case too. And sure, it would be a whole lot easier if the rhino returned and simply _led_ them to all the answers. But they didn't _need_ him to figure things out. They were perfectly capable of doing it on their own. And then Nick wouldn't have to face that animal again, and all the bad memories such a meeting would dredge up. Nick should know better than most: Sometimes no amount of justice ever made the pain of the crime go away. Sometimes you had to take what consolation you could get and let the rest go. Otherwise the emotions would only fester.

But Nick wouldn't be receptive to an opinion like that right now. So she settled for turning the phone off before handing it back over to him. When he looked at her questioningly, she said, "We're off the clock right now. And even if he turns around right this second, he still won't make it back here before morning. Which means you can relax. Besides..." She put her paw on his arm. "I missed you today. I want to spend as much time together as we can. Is that ok?"

Nick pocketed the phone immediately. "Of course it's ok. I'm sorry, Carrots. I'm just a little distracted tonight."

"Understandable." She smiled up at him. "Shall I distract you from your distraction?"

Nick's eyebrows rose. "Should I be scared right now? I feel like I should be scared."

Judy laughed and took his paw, pulling him onto one of the winding paths where couples and families strolled along. Some were enjoying a final walk before retiring for the night, while others were just getting started with their day. Every once in a while someone would notice Nick and Judy's clasped paws and give them a look, but Judy ignored them and was proud that Nick seemed to be doing the same.

Whenever they came to a fork in the road, Judy would tug Nick down whichever way looked more deserted. Gradually, the lights became farther spaced in the trees. They past less families and more couples cuddled up on benches. Judy leaned closer to Nick, heart thrilling when he hugged her to him and pressed a kiss behind her ear.

When Judy spotted an unpaved trail leading off the proper path, a little voice her coaxed her to take it, and she did. Nick followed along gamely, though he did break the silence for the first time to ask, "Any particular reason why we're sneaking through the woods right now?"

There were no lights at all in this part of the park, just slivers of moonlight here and there where there were gaps in the canopy. Judy, with her poor night vision, could just make out the outline of the trees when she got so close, but mostly she made her way by the feel of the dirt path beneath her feet.

She shot Nick a smile over her shoulder, knowing he could see it with his superior nocturnal eyes. "What do you mean, _sneaking_? This park is a public space, isn't it? And look, we're still technically on a trail."

Nick made a disbelieving noise.

"It's just a little more… private here."

"I'm started to suspect your intentions towards me are less than pure, Ms. Hopps."

Judy laughed, feeling breathless when he pressed closer to her, no longer passively following but helping to guide her through the dark. "This way," he murmured, nudging her to the right, and though the path continued straight, she went in the direction he indicated, her feet crunching over grass and leaves and the occasional broken twig. She was all but blind here, but Nick was a steady presence at her back, spotting every root and rock and steering her around it with gentle pushes and tugs. Judy had never walked so confidently into the night before. It felt almost like dancing, their steps dictated by the pattern of the forest itself. A silent melody of nature.

And then the trees opened up, and Judy saw what Nick must have spotted from afar. It was a clearing. Moonlight shone down on a cluster of deserted picnic tables, all in different sizes to accommodate different species. Solar powered lanterns glowed from the middle of each table, giving it the appearance of a candlelit dining room, abandoned to nature.

All for them.

Judy turned back and Nick was there. The kiss they shared was fevered. Judy couldn't stop touching him. No one spot was good enough. She had to touch all of him. Hold on to all of him.

He scooped her up, and being pressed against his strong, steady body made her realize how shaky she was. She felt like she was vibrating with tension.

Nick must have felt it too because he softened the kiss, his grip gentling as if to soothe. She didn't want soothing. She wanted reassurance. She wanted to know that even if they were no longer partners, they still had this. And this, their connection, was stronger. Unbreakable.

Their kiss broke. Judy realized he had set her down on one of the picnic tables. With the lamp behind her she could see Nick clearly again, and it was suddenly a relief to have that much illumination when she felt in the dark about so much else.

"It's okay," he said, as if he thought she was nervous. But it wasn't okay. He sounded so calm, _too_ calm, while she felt unraveled.

He wasn't even touching her anymore. His paws were pressed flat against the table on either side of her, not a tremble to be seen. Only his heavy breaths and dark eyes gave away that he might be feeling anything similar to her.

She pulled him down for another kiss, and felt better when he complied with gusto. But his paws stayed gripping the table, and when she tried to pull him in closer, he locked his spine, resisting. Judy let out a sound of frustration that made Nick startle back. "Did you just… growl at me?"

"What if I did?" said Judy. "I swear, you will be the death of me, Nicholas Wilde!"

The damn fox had the nerve to chuckle, though it sounded strained. "I should be the one saying that. I'm trying my best here."

"Trying your best at this usually requires more touching," Judy couldn't help pointing out.

That made Nick laugh outright. Judy bristled, but before she could ask him what was so funny, he dropped his head onto her shoulder. His arms came up around her, pulling her against him in a loose embrace, and Judy felt some of her ire drain away despite herself. "You just don't get it, Carrots." He turned his head to nuzzle at her throat. "I'm trying to stay in control."

"What does that mean?" said Judy. Suspicion rose. "Is this another one of those stupid alpha predator things? Because if it is, so help me, Wilde—"

"I think we've already established you're clearly the alpha in this relationship."

"Then why?" Insecurities she had been struggling not to acknowledge for weeks came creeping up. She had been telling herself this was just a temporary issue. That they would overcome it with enough patience and time. But what if they couldn't? What if they were just incompatible? What then? Would she just… lose him? No longer partners. No longer mates. No longer… anything.

"Whatever crazy ideas you've got spinning in that bunny brain of yours right now, I guarantee you they're wrong," said Nick.

"Then explain it," demanded Judy. "I can tell you've been holding back on me. I wanted to be patient about it—" She ignored Nick's snort at that, "—but with everything else that's happening, I can't take this on top of it all. Not when it affects _us_. So I need to know: Is it me? Am I too much? Or… do you not like bunnies? You can be honest! I would prefer it." She tried to sound cool about it, but there was still a shake in her voice and she knew from the quirk of Nick's lips that he heard it too.

"You'd prefer it, huh?"

Gentle paws cupped her face, wiping away the tears that had started to build in the corners of her eyes. She hadn't even noticed them and she looked away, embarrassed.

"Why does everything I do turn out wrong when it comes to you?" Nick wondered aloud. "It always makes sense at the time. But then things like this happen and I'm at a loss again."

"Dumb fox," grumbled Judy. "It's because you won't talk to me." She grabbed his muzzle and gave it a playful shake. "This thing right here. You have to use it for something besides sarcasm."

He made a show of trying to talk while she held his mouth. Judy gave a humorless smile and released him.

He caught her paw and kissed it, saying lightly, "Who's calling who dumb? You're the one who somehow believes I'm uninterested. Seriously, Carrots, how can you say that after you've ruined me for anyone else? Forget other species. If they're not a feisty gray bunny in a police uniform they might as well be grass to me for all the interest I can muster. If you knew how many hours I spent thinking of you each day—all the things I'd like to do with you, _to_ you—it's a miracle I have enough attention span left to do anything else with a modicum of competence, much less focus—"

"What did I just say about the sarcasm?" said Judy. She didn't appreciate him exaggerating. If it was for her feelings, it only made her feel worse. He didn't have to go this far.

She tried to yank her paw back, but Nick held fast to it. She looked up and met his gaze, startled to see that all levity was gone from his expression.

"You tell me to talk, but you don't believe what I say anyway. It's really frustrating, Carrots."

"Because you're actions speak differently," said Judy. "A few minutes ago you could barely stand to touch me."

He yanked her to him, ducking down to nuzzle the same part of her throat as before. But there was something different about the intent this time that made Judy feel shivery and just a bit tense.

"So what I'm hearing from you is, you want a mate of action. And I'll need to step up my game if I want to keep you interested."

"That's not quite what I—"

In one smooth motion he twisted her trapped wrist behind her back, the action so skillfully done it didn't so much as tweak a single muscle in her arm. He pinned her wrist against the curve of her spine, both limiting her movement and making her arch against him. His other paw cupped the back of her head, forcing her to tip her chin up and exposing her throat more fully to him.

_"—Ok?"_

Judy's heart was galloping in her chest. It took a second for her to realize Nick had spoken, and another long second to understand the question he was asking: Was she okay with this?

Oh, she was most definitely okay with this. More than okay. She managed to find the air to gasp out a _yes_ , and then his paw started moving, started touching, and even with all the extra layers she had on, those clever paws managed to find their way around and under to where he wanted, and all Judy could do was cling to him with her free paw and, _Great Turtle_ , he was still doing that nuzzling thing that was just—

Judy jackknifed up off the table, letting out a strangled cry as a painful zing of pleasure shot through her. If Nick hadn't been holding onto her so tightly, she would have fallen right off onto the ground. He had _nipped_ her! An actual bite, with teeth! Right where he had been nuzzling so intently.

He laved that spot now with his tongue. Already his touches had gentled again. She thought he might have been saying something, but she couldn't hear it through the rush of blood in her ears and the wonderful buzzing in her veins.

_"—need help—"_

Oh, she was definitely going to need help. She felt as if someone had replaced her bones with warm jello. A few more nips like that and she—

_"—being attacked! Someone call 911! A fox is mauling a—"_

The words penetrated at the same moment that Nick was torn away from her. An ocelot in running joggers grabbed Nick around the throat and threw him to the ground, where three teenage coyotes promptly tacked him and pinned him down.

Judy started to scramble off the picnic table, but a jaguar caught her by the shoulder and held her back. "Don't worry, you're safe now, miss."

"Geez, just a bunny too," said one of the coyotes, looking sick.

"Filthy animal," spat the ocelot. "Someone call the cops."

"Don't—" said Judy when the Jaguar made to pull out his phone. "This is a misunderstanding. He didn't attack me."

"We heard you scream," one of the coyotes said.

"We saw him biting you," said another.

Well, this was embarrassing.

"She may be in shock," said the jaguar, looking her over with concern. To Judy, he said, "If you'll sit a moment I can check to see how bad the wound is." He had a strong, calm voice that immediately made Judy think doctor or some other emergency professional. The fur around his muzzle had started to gray with age. A retired EMT perhaps. He wore a tweed suit with a pair of glasses tucked into his front suit pocket. Behind him on the ground was a spilled basket of food.

"I'm not hurt," said Judy, covering the spot Nick had bitten in case he had broken the skin. If there was blood, that would only make things look worse.

"You don't need to defend him, miss. We promise we won't let him hurt you anymore."

Nick, for his part, didn't struggle against the coyotes' hold. But his eyes were bright as he watched them all closely, especially the ocelot, who was glaring daggers at Nick with his fists clenched. She had no doubt that Nick would fight if it looked like things were starting to turn bad.

She couldn't let that happen.

"Thank you for your concern," she told them, striving to sound both polite and firm. "But as I said, you're mistaken. He's actually my—"

"Wait! I recognize you!" said one of the coyotes, letting go of Nick to point excitedly at Judy. "You're that famous bunny cop! Oh, what was the name... Janet? No—Joan—ah! Judy! Judy Hopps, that's right! With the fox partner..." He looked down at Nick. His eyes went comically wide as understanding struck. " _Oh_."

Judy watched as one by one it clicked for the rest of them. By now almost every mammal in Zootopia had seen the video of Nick proclaiming his love for her on stage. And then there had been the endless rounds of articles in both the newspapers and magazines discussing it. Judy and Nick had never done a formal interview, but whenever a journalist popped up for a quote they were always honest with their responses. "Yes, we're together. Yes, we love each other." Or in Nick's case, "She's taken. By me. How many other ways do you need me to say it before you animals get bored?"

One of the coyotes started giggling. It set off the other two. They must have been around Reynard and Craven's age, thought Judy. Just out out high school, if that. They released Nick. One helped him to his feet while the other retrieved a soccer ball they must have dropped while rushing over. The third gave a halfhearted brush at the leaves and dirt stuck to Nick's shirt until Nick shot him a look. He stopped immediately, looking sheepish.

The ocelot's expression twisted in revulsion. He looked even angrier than when he'd thought Nick had been mauling her. He stomped off, muttering rude comments under his breath that Judy hoped Nick couldn't hear. By the way Nick's jaw clenched, she suspected otherwise.

"Apologies about that," said the jaguar. "I guess we're all still on edge after those attacks last year. No hard feelings I hope?" This last bit was directed at Nick.

Nick gave a curt nod.

Judy helped the jaguar pick up his spilled basket of food. She felt awkward and more than a little responsible. She offered to pay for the ruined meal, but the jaguar waved her off with a good-natured, "Just a snack. Don't you fret about it."

The coyotes giggled out their own apologies and trotted off. Before they disappeared into the tree line, they shouted a few compliments back to Nick about his impressiveness with females, followed up with some pointed howling. Judy smothered a laugh at the long-suffering look on Nick's face. "Can we go now, please?"

* * *

The walk back was a silent one. Nick's place was closer, so that's where they headed. Neither asked the other if they wanted to be alone that night.

When they finally crawled into bed, Nick pulled her close without hesitation, but he was still so _quiet_. Judy gave his middle a soft squeeze. "Hey."

"Hm?"

"I love you."

She felt his confusion at the confession in the silent seconds that followed. Then he sighed and pulled her tighter against him. "You don't have to worry, Carrots. I'm fine. I'm not going anywhere."

The tightness that had been twisting in her chest since the park loosened somewhat. She relaxed against him. "That's good. Because I want you to come with me to my parent's anniversary party this weekend."

"Okay."

"But I don't want you to come as my partner." She took a breath. "At least, not that kind of partner."

She felt Nick tense.

"We have to tell them sometime," she pointed out. "They already adore you, Nick. There's nothing to be worried about."

He shifted so that he was looking down at her. "Says the bunny who not two hours ago was panicking that I wasn't attracted to her."

"I was not panicking—"

He pinched the fluff of her cheeks, giving her a little shake until she squirmed and said, "Ok, ok, I was! A little. Let go, you bully fox."

He released her. Judy rubbed her sore cheeks, scowling when he grinned at her. She stuck up her nose at him. She'd intended it as a snub, but he took the opening to plant a kiss on her. It was impossible to pretend to be mad after that.

"I'm sorry for making you doubt, Carrots."

Judy looked up at him. "I'm sorry for doubting."

"It looks like we've still got some things we need to work on."

Judy smiled at him cheekily. "I'm okay with putting in a little extra work. For the good of the relationship, of course."

Nick's eyes were twinkling. "Of course. You're nothing if not dedicated."

"That's right."

He ducked his head and pressed a soft kiss to the spot he had bitten earlier.

"I checked while I was brushing my teeth," said Judy. "You didn't even break the skin."

"Of course I didn't," said Nick, affronted. "What kind of greenhorned kit do you take me for?"

"Hmm. Had lots of practice to perfect it, have you?"

Nick coughed and looked away, his tail twitching beneath the covers. Judy smothered a smile. He was so cute when he was flustered.

"Thank you," she told him. "For earlier. I… I really enjoyed it."

"You mean watching me almost get my tail beat?" said Nick dryly. "I could see why that might be fun."

" _No_. Before that," said Judy. "You know what I mean."

Nick's gaze searched hers. "You really… were okay with it?"

"More than okay," murmured Judy, pulling him down for a kiss. "But just as importantly, what about you? Did _you_ like it?"

Nick groaned and rolled away from her, squeezing his eyes shut as if blocking out the memory. "Of course I did. Way more than I should."

Judy narrowed her eyes at him, not that he could see it. "Hm. This sounds reminiscent of that 'control' comment you made earlier. Which I'm still waiting for you to explain, by the way."

"I don't want to scare you."

"I promise, Nick, whatever the reason is, it's not going to scare me."

"That's not what I'm saying." He seemed to steel himself. "If I don't control myself when we're together, I'm afraid I'll scare you."

_Oh_.

The silence stretched. Nick peeked a look at Judy, both eyes snapping wide when he saw that her's were filling with tears.

He shot upright, his paws reached out to hold her but stopped short, as if he was afraid to touch her. "Judy, that's not—I mean…"

For the second time that night Judy launched herself at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, wiping her tears into his fur.

"It's okay," she said. "I'm fine."

"You don't _cry_ when you're fine!" said Nick, sounding torn between worried and exasperated.

Judy laughed wetly. "I just don't know whether to feel sorry or grateful. You've been trying so hard all this time to be careful with me for my sake. At the expense of your own comfort and happiness. I can't tell you how much that means to me. But then I feel so guilty that you thought the real you would scare me away…"

"Don't feel too touched," said Nick. "It's pure selfishness on my part. Whatever I have to do to keep you by my side is more than worth the price."

Oh, how she loved this fox.

She cupped his face, making sure he was looking into her eyes before she said solemnly, "I will never, _ever_ , fear you. There is no one else in Zootopia or beyond that I trust more than you. And there is no secret or desire that you could have that will ever, _ever_ , make me turn away from you. Got that, fox?" When he still hesitated, she poked her nose against his. "Hey! Got it?"

" _Ow_! I got it, I got it."

She let him go. "So no more holding yourself back. If there's something you want to try and you're unsure, ask me. I'll do the same. We'll learn our boundaries together that way. Okay?"

Nick still seemed disbelieving, or maybe he was just stunned but the suddenness of this new arrangement, but after a moment he nodded.

"That's settled then." Judy gave his shoulder a shove, pushing him down onto the bed. "Now, shall we get started learning?"

That got a shocked laugh out of him. "What, right now?"

She nuzzled along his throat. Felt him swallow against her lips. "I admit I'm intrigued by this little skill of yours. I assume there's a trick to it. The right location, maybe? Finding the right nerves combined with the perfect amount of pressure— _ah_!"

The world flipped. Judy's back hit the mattress with a squeak of springs. Nick looked down at her, eyes dark and smile cocky. "Aw, Carrots. Don't you know? Skills like this are best learned from paws-on experience."

* * *

Craven was being followed. _Finally_.

After weeks of searching out locations he had no business being in, making veiled threats to every contact he knew, and generally making a nuisance of himself to some very dangerous animals, he had finally forced a reaction. Now he just had to hope he hadn't kicked over one beehive too many in his persistence of gaining a proper meeting. Otherwise what might be following him right now might be something more deadly than answers.

He cut down another side street. Not for the first time, he gave thanks to his natural night vision, otherwise he would have been feeling his way along blind. What little moonlight made it through the thick canopy was blocked out by buildings. There were no streetlights here. The electricity had been disconnected from this part of the Rainforest District decades ago, when this pocket of the city had been vacated for a redevelopment project that had never gotten off the ground. Craven didn't know the specifics. He had only been a kit at the time. Lack of city funds or a mayoral changeover, something like that. What was left was eight blocks of shops, homes, and restaurants, all vacant and rotting. Trees grew through broken windows and off the sides of roofs, so huge and twisting it was hard to tell what were roots and what were branches. Vines snaked out from gutters to twine with benches and sign posts. Intersections looked like intricate arbors with stoplights for flowers.

Water filled the streets. Whatever drainage systems kept the rest of the Rainforest District from flooding had been shut off here, or maybe just damaged. Occasionally a soda can or other piece of refuse would drift by, caught in an unknown current. Craven tried not to think about what else he might be wading through that he couldn't see. The water was up to his ankles here. The sound of sloshing water reverberated off the buildings, making him feel about as stealthy as an elephant.

His pursuer was far more adapt at staying quiet. They were little more than a feeling of eyes on his back and the occasional ripple of shadow, too indistinct to make out a species. Maybe if Craven turned to look he could make out more, but he knew better than to try. Revealing even that small amount of uncertainty could be seen as a weakness. And if it was one thing these animals had no respect for, it was showing weakness. Even if he caught a glimpse of who was following him, it would most likely be the last thing he ever saw.

So he continued on as if he were unconcerned by his invisible escort. He knew what he was looking for anyway.

The building was smaller and plainer than many of the others surrounding it, but it was also clear of moss, vine, and other overgrowth that blanketed the rest of the area. It was constructed from concrete and was the size of a small shed. Etched into the side were the letters **N O**. The grooves were stained a faint rust color. Craven started to touch it, then realized what it was and yanked his paw back.

Someone had used their _horn_ to carve this. Even when blood had started to flow, they had kept going until they'd finished it. They weren't just conveying the name of their group; they were sending a message: half-hearted measures would not be tolerated.

Craven faced the door. It looked to be made of steel, with no handle or lock. A black panel was set into the wall next to it. A small red light blinked in the bottom right hand corner. Craven tried not panic at the sight. If it required a password, he didn't know it.

He tapped on the screen.

Nothing. The red light maintained its steady blinking.

As nonchalantly as he could, Craven pressed his paws to the door and attempted to slide it open. It didn't budge.

Snickering came from behind him. Craven stiffened. After following him for so long in perfect silence, they had let him hear their laughing on purpose. But worse than the mocking was the realization that the laughter was coming from several different directions all at once. He had assumed he was being followed by a single mammal. That was, he realized now, a naive mistake on his part. Of course with a group like this, they would want to hunt him down as a pack.

His heart pounded. He tried not to give away his terror, but his paws shook. He quickly clenched his fists to hide it.

"Love live the Natural Order!" He shouted the words at the closed door, not daring to turn around and look. The laughing stopped. As he thought, they knew better than to laugh after that proclamation. Traitors were dealt with more swiftly than even cowards.

A high-pitched beep brought Craven's attention back to the panel. The flashing red light was now a solid green.

The door slid open, revealing an elevator with moldy walls. Water spilled in, wetting the grimy floor and making it slippery. Craven eased his way inside. The panel that normally allowed you to pick a floor had been ripped out, leaving nothing but a rusted hole with some frayed wires.

The doors creaked closed. After a moment, the elevator started to descend. Craven kept his gaze trained forward. He would have liked to indulge in a few seconds of panic, but the security camera mounted in the corner of the ceiling made any overt reactions impossible. If he lost his cool now, even for a moment, it would ruin everything and then all of this would have been for nothing.

Down the elevator went. There was no need to descend this far—except to escape the laws of Zootopia. They were playing with the same legal loopholes as they had with the fighting ring. Once you went so deep, the city's laws no longer applied.

The elevator slowed. Stopped.

The doors opened. Craven made sure not to show any hesitation in stepping out. He exited the elevator while taking in his surroundings, scanning the room for any possible threats. Nothing immediate jumped out at him. It appeared to be a single room. The ceiling, floor and walls were roughly dug dirt, reinforced with wood beams. A small bar sat against one wall, with shelves divided evenly between bottles of liquor and glasses. Beaten looking couches and chairs sat in some loose semblance of a circle around a low table, where a boar and a wolverine sat sipping drinks.

"If it isn't our little troublemaker," said the boar, while the wolverine ignored him in favor of staring into his drink. "Welcome to our humble den. We've been hearing a lot about you, kit. Causing all kinds of mischief lately. Been a real pain in the backside to a lot of our members."

Craven tried to school his expression into one of cool indifference, the way his brother Reynard and officer Wilde were so good at. "It's Craven, not kit," he told them. "And I don't like being ignored." He took a seat in a wingback chair so that he could face both animals while still seeing the elevator. It was a pointless bid for self-preservation. He knew the only way he was getting out of here alive was if they let him. But he thought Robin would have been proud of him for the attempt.

Even if it was the _only_ thing he would've been proud of him for.

He certainly wouldn't be proud of anything else Craven was doing. But Craven wasn't in this to make his family proud. He had no illusions of what their feelings for him would be after all this. But as long as they would still be alive to hate him, he could live with that.

"Well, now you have our _full_ attention." By the tone of the boar's voice, it remained to be seen whether or not that was a good thing. "What do you want from us?"

"The same thing I wanted before. To join you guys."

The boar stared him down. Craven didn't let his gaze waver.

Finally the boar leaned back. He took a sip of his drink. "I don't see why we should. You haven't even passed a single round in one of our rings. In fact, thanks to your brother and his cop friend, we had to put the entire enterprise on hold until further notice."

_Enterprise_. That's how they viewed pitting desperate animals in fights to the death. As a business.

"That was… a misunderstanding," said Craven.

"A misunderstanding that's set us back _months_ ," snapped the boar. "It could have ruined our entire operation."

_If only._

A soft, high pitched noise had Craven looking over at the bar area, but he couldn't locate any cause for the sound. Could be buried pipes nearby, or minute vibrations from a fault line making the bottles clink together on the shelves. Craven had heard of both happening in city dens and burrows, especially in poorer areas. This abandoned stretch of city was hardly being kept up.

The wolverine had finally looked up from his glass. Both he and the boar were watching him now. There was an expectancy to their gazes that unnerved him. Craven gave himself a mental shake and refocused. "I promise you, if you let me join, I will work hard to make up for any prior mistakes."

The wolverine snorted. "You _promise_ , do you? Will you _pinky-claw_ swear on it?"

"Do you know how animals make up for their mistakes with us?" the boar asked.

Craven doubted it was anything good. He shook his head.

"We rip out their throats and leave them as warnings for anyone else who might be dumb enough to make a 'mistake' with us."

All the saliva dried up in Craven mouth. His heart stuttered in his chest as if anticipating its final beats.

"What happened back then wasn't my fault," he croaked.

" _It wasn't my fault_ ," mocked the wolverine.

Again, Craven heard that strange, squeaky noise. There was something about it... Something familiar yet _wrong_ that had his instincts pinging and raised the fur on his arms. But he could hardly focus on it when his chances of leaving this room alive were slipping through his paws like water.

"Surely I'm better use to you alive than dead," said Craven.

"I don't see how," said the boar.

A simple statement. Adrenaline flooded Craven's veins as his fight or flight response kicked in. He struggled to stay seated, to not give away a single emotion as he struggled to think through the panic clawing at him. He needed an example of a way he could be useful that these beasts would respect, a skill or attribute that would aid their crazy cause and prove he was one of them. But he hadn't beat anyone in the ring and he had no helpful connections. He had hoped sheer determination would be enough, but the thought offering that up as a reason seemed laughable now.

"Fortunately for you," said the boar, interrupting Craven's mental scrambling. "My opinion isn't the one that matters. Our leader is very interested in you, Craven Corsac. And he made it clear: if you desired to join us, then we are to facilitate that. So _—_ " The boar motioned to the wolverine. The wolverine put down his drink. He got up and went over to the bar where he tipped a wine bottle towards him. Instead of falling and shattering onto the floor, it stayed hanging over the edge, defying gravity. There was a grating click and pop, and then the whole bar swung forward, revealing another room beyond.

Suddenly that faint sound from earlier carried clearly into the room, and Craven's stomach dropped as he realized it wasn't shifting bottles or noisy pipes. It was crying. Tiny, high-pitched wailing that sounded like some kind of mouse or other rodent.

The wolverine went into the room. The crying stuttered, then changed to begging.

_"Please let me go. Please—I won't tell anyone I was here. I promise! I haven't done anything to you. Why are you doing this to me? Where did you take my brother? Please—"_

The wolverine came back out, the hidden door swinging shut behind him. But Craven could still hear that small, muffled voice. And now that he knew what it was, he couldn't block it out.

The animal had gone back to crying. Heavy, hopeless sobs.

Craven felt sick.

The boar watched him. A knowing smile curled his lips. "Something wrong?"

Not trusting himself to speak, Craven shook his head.

The wolverine came over and set a piece of paper and a pen down on the table in front of Craven. Then he returned to his seat and picked his drink. He swirled the amber contents around for a few seconds, staring down into it as if reading a fortune, then he chucked it all back in two big gulps.

Craven stared down at the paper. The text on it was short, no more than paragraph in length. He had heard enough rumors by now to know what the contract entailed. It shouldn't have frightening. This was what he had come here for, after all. But seeing it in person and knowing it was for him sent a wave of nausea through him.

**CONTRACT PLEDGE FOR THE NATURAL ORDER**

"Read it," said the boar.

Craven struggled to find his voice. His mouth felt filled with cotton. He could taste bile at the back of his throat. He swallowed and read: "I, Craven Corsac, hereby renounce all loyalty to the city of Zootopia, its government, laws, leaders, and societal mores that have too long suppressed its citizens and their natural born instincts. From this moment on, my actions shall be dictated only by the limits of my own abilities. Predators must be predators until they are not, just as prey must be prey until they are not. This is the Law of Nature, and can no more be rejected than the origin of our species. I am now, until my death, part of the Natural Order." Craven lowered the paper. "I am free."

"All you have to do is sign," said the boar.

Craven could still hear the crying. Across from him, the wolverine poured himself a fresh drink, silent and smirking.

This was the price to be paid. He had known it going in. There was no turning back now.

Craven picked up the pen, and signed.


End file.
